Friends 'Till Death
by AnimeGirl2258
Summary: Follow Izaya from Primary school to his life as an info broker, watch as he begins to fall for a certain girl who understands him better than he understands himself. Izaya x OC.
1. Chapter 1

Grade School Dreams

I skipped down the wide second-story hallway happily, as my short blond hair whipped this way and that, along with the small pink ribbons which dangled helplessly on either side of my head, a red book bag, which was too wide for me, clattered about as I continued on. My yellow rubber rain boots squeaked as they hit the already wet floor, and with every little skip I took I could feel the smallest of water droplet hit my legs just below my pink skirt.

It had been raining all week and my mother had alway's made sure I had an umbrella, however, that day I had decided that I would prove to my parents that I was old enough to wake myself up and get ready for school without their help; so I had snuck into their bedroom and turned their alarm clock off and begun my morning routine. My older brother was on his way out the door when he noticed me reaching for the stove, in a flash he had swept me up and away from the stove, I had never seen him move so fast in my life! After a small argument I gave in and let him fix me breakfast, he then dropped me off at my elementary school while he continued on to his high school. In all the excitement that morning I had neglected to collect my umbrella along with a few other items. And so I was skipping through my schools halls on my way to meet my brother at the entrance. As I went, I noticed three girls as they shyly peaked in through a large window in the hall that aloud you to view the inside of the library, they whispered and giggled quietly which made me take pause.

"He's cute, and smart too." One said.

"But he's alway's in the library..." Stated the second.

"He never want's to play with me on the playground!" The third complained. After a few moments more the girls ran off with their matching Fruits Basket lunch boxes and poorly made macaroni necklaces.

I was left standing in the oversized hall staring into the library, where a dark haired boy stared out the window and down at the children who exited the school building. I impulsively entered into the library, not bothering to form any sort of coherent thoughts of the boy. I approached him openly and as I came upon him I tapped his shoulder, he turned to me his rust colored eye's studying me with a sort of intense suspicion that I was too young to fully comprehend, I smiled at him as he sat, his expression had faded to a dull sort of expectancy by then.

"Hi! My names, Kammi Anda, four years old, who're you?" My greetings were not formal as I had been taught they should be, in my opinion formalities were no way for a child to express themself and so I completely dropped them all together. The boy smirked up to me as his rust colored eyes narrowed somewhat, he looked to be up to no good, a trouble maker, my parents had told me to stay away from such children but to be honest he seemed interesting. He stood from his seat revealing that he was a few inches shorter than myself.

He introduced himself as my senior by one year, a six year old, Izaya Orihara, while I found it strange that he was only one grade ahead of me and a full two years older than myself, I decided not to comment on it.

"I've never herd of anyone having a name meaning lord... I like it." He stated a smirk on his lips the entire time, I tilted my head to one side and smiled brightly. The door to the library slammed open as my brother hurried over the threshold.

"Kammi! There you are! I've been looking all over for you! You were supposed to meet me at the gate!" He exclaimed as he approached me. He scolded me a little for making him worry, before he zipped up my bright pink jacket and took my small hand in his, as he tugged me away from Izaya I looked over my shoulder and called out to him.

"Lets be friends! Okay?" He nodded once, and that was when our very strange relationship began.

Everyday I met Izaya in the library for lunch and recess. I remember how we alway's had to sneak past the mean old librarian just as the bell rang, and how the librarians assistant would alway's help us sneak through and keep the old woman busy for us.

We wouldn't do much just sit and talk, play computer games every now and again, or do some homwork which was enough for the both of us. As the years of grade school seemed to fly by Izaya and I grew ever closer and before I knew it middle school was upon us, or rather, Izaya. Soon he would be transitioning from primary school, to secondary and he would leave me behind. Strangely I was neither afraid nor curious as to whether Izaya would move on and forget me as he left our grade school life. To this day I haven't the slightest idea why.

Despite Izaya alway's being in the library I never saw him even take a glace at the books which surrounded us, all he would do was gaze out the window at the children who ran about on the playground. In truth I had alway's wondered why but for some reason or another I found that I had never questioned Izaya about it, until one day.

"Iza-senpai, why do you come to the library if you don't ever read any books?" That afternoon was a particularly hot day, however the air conditioned library kept the two of us cool. In response to my inquisition Izaya moved closer to the window and beckoned me closer; as I approached, I found myself looking down at the various different kids at play as recess ticked away.

"It's the best place to observe them." He stated simply.

"Why would you wanna do that? Their just people."

"I'm not really sure why, actually... I just... Do." Was he's only response, and as I looked at his face I could see that he was deeply wondering about it.

The young assitant, who then stood as acting librarian do to the mean old library-lady's recent passing, approached the two of us with ice-pops in her hands, and a warm smile on her pretty face. We each took one and thanked her, she then ran her fingures through my short blond hair as she had alway's done and complimented me on how it felt like silk and shown like the sun, with that she left us to attend to her work.

"Do you know why she alway's compliments your hair, Kammi-chan?" Izaya questioned, as he continued to stare at the children below, I shook my head in response he turned so he was facing me head on. "It's because her daughter had blond hair too, you know, the girl who was in your class, the one who was killed by a color gang." My eye's widened somewhat as he told me this, I knew that a girl in my class had died the year before but I had no idea that it was her daughter, or that her death was not an accident. I blinked as I noticed the amused smirk on Izaya's face, he had alway's said things in order to envoke reaction from me, but he had never said anything so blatant and dark. I narrowed my eye's to him as I tossed what little remained of my ice-pop in the garbage.

"I hate it when you do that, Orihara-senpai." He cringed as I used his name formally which was something I had never done, he knew I disliked formality my addressing him formally sent the message I had wanted, 'you've gone too far'. He sighed that same deep wondering look returning to his eyes as if he were trying to understand just who he was and why he did the things he did.

"I'm sorry Kammi-chan," he said sheepishly, "I don't know why I say things like that." He turned his attention back to the window, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. Izaya had alway's been mature for his age but I hadn't any idea of just how mature until that day, when I realized that he had already begun trying to find his purpose in life, it was a search he had started years before and I couldn't help but marvel at just how self-aware he had already become.

The final day of my nineth grade year had rolled around only a week after the day I'd become aware of Izaya's vast maturity. It was his final day as an elementary student and, as usual, I found him sitting in the library watching the people below.

"Congrats, Iza-senpai!" I exclaimed as he turned his attention to me, "you finally get to go somewhere other than the grade-school library! Now you can go to the middle school library!" I exclaimed happily causing him to chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, _veeery _funny!" He exclaimed, as he leaned against the window ciel. "Ya know I think i'm actually gonna miss this school, and our library time." He said and I nodded in agreement. An announcement came over the loud-speaker, Izaya was being picked up early and as his name was called he gathered his things.

"You're not staying for your graduation ceremony?" I questioned, he stood as he flung his pack over his shoulder.

"Nope. Don't wanna." He approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder, as he did so my eyes widend as I realized something about him had changed. "See ya around, Kammi-chan." As he passed me by I couldn't help but ask a question that recieved no answer as he left the room.

"When did you become taller than me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Middle School Visions

After he graduated elementary school, Izaya and I spent every other day together, up until my own graduation from the primary school. As he walked me home that day he asked.

"Have you decided on what middle school to attend yet?" I shook my head.

"Most of the kids in my grade are heading to Sakimori Junior High, or Mitsugame Prep. But i'm not sure yet." He smirked down to me as he walked, with his hands shoved into his black uniform pants pockets.

"You should go to Raira, it's great over there." He stated casually, "and we could hang out in the library again."

"I don't know, I haven't sent an application into that school yet..." After a bit more convincing Izaya had finally gotten me to agree to apply to Raira Academy.

Izaya and I didn't spend much time together that summer, we got together once every other week for something simple, but still I found that I wasn't at all concerend about losing his friendship, for I had figured out by then that I never would.

Izaya had matured greatly since our final weeks of elementary school, and it seemed as though he had discovered his purpose in life and knew exactly what he was meant to do.

I had matured greatly as well, more mentally than physically, but even though I had stopped growing at some point during the summer, I felt as though I had somehow caught up with Izaya and his way of thinking.

I strolled along the sakura kissed side-walk, as I walked to my very first day of middle school, my mary-jane shoes clicking on the pavement, my medium length blond locks pulled infront of me in low braided pigtails, by glasses catching the slightest of gleams from the sun, and my school bag held tightly before me in both hands. I wasn't at all excited about my first day of middle school, infact, I had taken a stoic outlook on the day.

"Kaaaaammiiiii-Chaaaaan~" A voice sang my name, and as I turned to see who it was I found myself being hugged by a brown haired boy with glasses. "I'm so glad you're going to my school!" He cheered happily. The boy was Shinra Kishitani, who was two grades ahead of me and whom I had met three years prior. I had introduced Shinra to Izaya when he first graduated from grade school, in the hopes that Izaya would finally make friends.

"Shinra-senpai! Would you let go of me?!" I exclaimed as he released his grip on me, he grinned happily as he began to stroll with me, we chattered all the way in our matching black middle school uniforms. When we finally reached the front gate of Raira Academy Shinra called out to someone, I had hoped it would be Izaya but instead it was a tall blond boy.

"Kammi-chan, I'd like you to meet Shizuo Hewajima!" Shinra introduced us, I knitted my brows together as I looked at him and tilted my head to one side.

"Hewajima... Oh! You must be Kasu-kun's older brother!" I said, he raised an eyebrow at me.

"How do you know Kasuka?" He questioned.

"We're in the same grade..."

"...Oh... Well... Nice to meet ya."

Thats where our conversation ended.

I entered in the middle school wing of the building and found my small cubby-like locker, as I opened it up I found a pair of pink sandals, I sat on the wooden bench next to another girl, placed my bag in between us and began to remove my street shoes for the slippers. Raira was prestegious school which alway's had people from the government obeserving, and so to keep the halls clean students were required to wear slippers inside. As I slipped on the soft pink sandals I moved toward my locker and placed my shoes inside of it. I turned back to the bench to retrieve my bag, when the girl I had sat next to accidently knocked her pencil case off the bench, causing the pencils and erasers inside to spill onto the floor. As the girl bent over to pick them up I knelt on the ground and assisted in finding whatever pencils hadn't been pocketed or stepped on and broken by passing students. As we placed them into the saftey of their case the girl smiled to me. Her short dark hair had a somewhat unkempt look to it as it ended in a spikey manner not far below her jaw line, her dark brown eye's held no spark of excitement but a certain glow of indifference.

"Thanks. I'm Mikage Sharaku, class 1-A, and you are?" I introduced myself to the girl as we discovered that we were placed in the same class, we decided to walk to home room together, where we were assigned seats in alphabetical order, I was put in the front of the class nearest the window, and Mikage was place in the middle somwhere toward the back.

The day went on without any signs of Izaya and as lunch came around I silently wondered if I should look in the library for him. Just as I had made up my mind to go and find Izaya, Mikage came to eat with me at my desk and as we talked I discovered that we had much in common.

"You know martial arts?" I questioned, Mikage nodded sternly in response.

"Knowing how to defend yourself is extremely important. If you want I could teach you." My eyes went wide at the offer, as I attempted to picture myself fighting off villans. "A girl like you needs to learn to defend herself." She said as she took a bite of rice.

"What's that supposed to mean? 'A girl like you'?" I questioned as I raised a brow at her.

"It means that you appear scrawny and weak." She answered, for whatever reason her bluntness made me smile. Mikage was a fit girl and you could tell with just a glance that she was definantly not one to be messed with, I agreed to meet up with her a few times a week in order to begin training.

"Kammi-chan!" I turned to find Izaya standing next to my desk, he looked down on me with an amused smirk. "Aren't you coming to the library?" He questioned, I crossed my arms as I looked on him in an uncaring manner.

"Nope, I'm staying here." His smirk never faded as he pulled a chair up to my desk, I introduced Izaya and Mikage as Izaya began to pick at the food in my boxed lunch.

"So Mikage-chan is going to be teaching Kammi-chan martial arts, that oughta be fun." His voice was running rampant with sarcasm.

"Almost as fun as teaching you manners Iza-senpai." I retorted as I slapped his hand away from the apple slices in my bento box, which earned a laugh from Izaya.

"True, true, but you know I never learn." He said as he took an apple slice anyway. Once lunch was over Izaya went back to his class room, leaving myself and Mikage to sit through some extremely boring math lessons.

Izaya and I weren't as close as we had been but we really didn't have to be, because somehow we knew that no matter what happend we would still be able to depend on eachother, no matter how far we drifted apart we would be able to pick up where we left off, and we did. Every now and again he would come into my classroom and eat lunch with myself, Mikage, and Kadota. Or I would travel to the library and eat with him, but I only did that when I had a feeling he needed me.

One day I was in the middle of eating with Mikage, Kadota, and Shinra, who had wandered into our class room, when I got this little prickle on the back of my neck. Something was wrong. I packed up my lunch, got up and walked out of the class without a word to my friends, I hurried through the halls and to the library where I found Izaya laying his head on the desk, I stood opposite to him waiting for him to say something.

"I find it funny that you know exactly when I need you, Kammi-chan." Was all he said, I took a seat across from him.

"Tell me whats bothering you." My voice held a bit more concern than I would have liked it to, he sat up and looked at me his rust colored eyes held something dark.

"You know about it don't you? That chemistry club I helped Shinra start?" I nodded.

"Herd from a few boys in my class that a certain Vice President turned it into a gambling ring." I exclaimed accusingly, as I'd known that Izaya was said Vice President. He shook his head in what seemed like remorse.

"Well... Things have gone sour..." He said sadly. "Nakura-san is upset for losing money, even though he lost it fair and square." Izaya said, I adjusted my glasses as I responded.

"Strange, Iza-senpai never seemed one to worry about such a thing." He raised an eyebrow, "usually you take a sort of amused look on situations like the one presented, have you lost sight of your purpose? Have you become unsure of yourself?" He looked down at the table the slightest hint of a smirk on his face.

"I suppose you could say that I'm unsure... I'm not like I was in grade school, I know why I act the way I do, and I know what results my actions may bring but..." And then it clicked.

"You're unsure of how to deal with the outcome, is that it?" He nodded and I scoffed, "then figure it out!" He blinked at me clearly he hadn't expected that. "Iza-senpai, you've alway's been able to figure things like this out, I don't know why youre doubting yourself so harshly."

"Are you saying I should confront him?" He questioned I shook my head.

"I'm saying you should think about this, you're very intelligently designed Iza-senpai. You decide on what to do." Izaya's eyes widend somewhat as he looked at me, he appeared to be seeing me in a new light, whether that light was good or bad i'm still not sure. I placed my lunch on the table before him, and I gave him a pair of chopsticks as I took out my own, we ate my lunch in a matter of minutes and once finished Izaya seemed to have a plan. He stood from his seat as I neatly packed up the remnants of my bento, he paused never looking back at me.

"Thanks Kammi-chan, you alway's know what to say to help me find myself." And then he left.

The next day around lunch I decided to find Izaya to see if he'd resolved his issue, as I wondered the halls slightly worried of his absence from the library, I rounded a corner and discovered him standing in the middle of an abandoned hall with Shinra and boy who appeared to be extremely ticked-off. I approached the group semi-cautiously as Izaya spoke.

"Nakura-san, I already told you I didn't cheat." Izaya said calmly, which told me that the incident had yet to be resolved.

"Liar!" Nakura cried as he reached into his pocket. "You give me no choice Orihara-kun!" He revealed a knife and pointed it at Izaya, "I'll have to teach you a lesson!" Nakura charged his knife aim for Izaya's abdomen. I rushed forward grabbing Izaya by the shoulder to pull him out of harms way, as I did so, Shinra jumped out infront of Izaya and then all that was herd was a pained cry.

Nakura stepped back unarmed, as the knife was lodged in Shinra's stomach. Izaya and I hurried to our wounded friend who lay bleeding and in pain, I turned my attention to Nakura.

"You're gonna regret hurting Shinra-senpai!" I exclaimed and then I was upon him. He tried to run but I was able to punch him hard in the gut before he could even turn, I delivered a series of blows before the boy fell to the floor unconcious. My martial arts lessons with Mikage had definantly paid off.

I hurried over to Shinra and Izaya, who had already called for an ambulance. Shinra lay on the floor grimacing as Izaya and I looked down on him.

"Listen to me Shinra-san!" Izaya exclaimed as the injured boy's eyes fluttered as he tried to look to him. "I want you to tell the paramedics and police that I did this to you!" He demanded.

"What?! Izaya-senpai! Thats ridiculous!" I exclaimed, and he turned his eyes to me.

"You to! Tell them I got into a fight with Nakura-san and Shinra-san tried to break it up, tell them that I pulled the knife! Tell them I stabbed Shinra-san! Say it! tell me you will!" Izaya's voice was so demanding and his expression serious, but his eyes are what really intimidated me. His rust colored orbs seemd to burn with fury and desperation, as if he were ready to kill. "Kammi-chan! Say that you'll tell them!" He ordered once again, and I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat before I gave him a reluctant nod.

School was released early as the police needed to take a look at the crime scene, Izaya and I were questioned separately as Shinra was taken away in an ambulance, and Nakura was being checked out by the paramedics nearby.

"Orihara-senpai stabbed Kishitani-senpai." I answered the policewomans questions just as Izaya had instructed me. I hadn't the slightest idea why he wanted me to tell those lies but, I did nonetheless, I placed my complete trust in him as I watched the officers shove him into the squad car and take him away. I looked on sadly as they drove off, the officer who had questioned me misinterpreted my confusion for fear as she put a hand on my head and began to gently stroke my hair.

"It's alright he won't be able to hurt you now." She said softly, little did she know that her words of comfort had done more harm than good.

I had gone to visit Shinra in the hospital the next day when he was able to comprehend his situation. I was able to get to him before any police had thankfully. I reminded Shinra of what he was supposed to tell them when they questioned him and he nodded as he began to vaguely remember Izaya telling him to do so.

Izaya was placed in a detention center for two months before his parents finally decided to pay someone off and get Izaya out. His family was wealthy and they could have had him released as soon as he was locked away, however, they felt it would be a good idea to have him punished for at least a little while.

When Izaya was finally released he returned to school as normal. I was more than a little relieved that he'd be able to return to school. While he was incarcerated he went through many trials and I would alway's get that small prickle that told me he needed me, I would sneak away from class and call him at the detention center right when he needed me most, I even snuck away from my parents a few times so I could visit him in person along with Shinra.

Mikage, Kadota and I walked to school together everyday and the two found it somewhat annoying that I was in such a hurry to get to school on the day Izaya returned.

"Kammi-chan, I think it'd be best if you stayed away from that Orihara guy." Kadota had said, which caused me to look curiously over my glasses at him.

"Why do you say that Dotachiin?" I questioned as I used the nickname Izaya had assigned him.

"Thats why! He's a bad influence on you!" He cried, "you're too sweet to be hangin' around a guy like that!" I only smiled and shook my head as I spun away from him, my braids flowing along with my body.

"Relax Dotachiin, it's fine." I said as I walked on.

Izaya and I had grown close once again and we stayed close as he entered into his third and final year of Junior High, and I entered into my second. He had been causing a significant amount of trouble since the incident with Nakura, and he spent less time in the library then, but somehow I felt as though he'd never changed.

It was at the end of the day, I was on class clean up duty with a few others, and we had just finished tidying up when Shinra came bursting into the room, his blue high school uniform glowing somewhat in the setting sunlight.

"Kammi-chan! Come with me! You gotta see this!" He exclaimed as he grabbed my hand a pulled my down the hall, down to the first floor, out of the building and to the soccer field were I saw Izaya sitting on a table and... A flying soccer goal? Once the goal had come back down to earth and the dust had settled I saw the one who had caused it all. Kasuka-kuns older brother... What was his name again?

"Did he just... Fight... The entire soccer team?" Was the only question that escaped my lips. Shinra chuckled and nodded in response.

"Yeah, thats Shizuo for you, ill tempered as ever."

Soon enough I found myself watching as yet another knife was brough into a fight, only this time it really was Izaya who pulled the blade and this time it was pulled on Shizuo. I watched as the two ran off campus and I briefly wondered if I should go after them, but ultimately I decided against it.

After Shizuo and Izaya's first encounter it became normal to watch as Shizuo fought off an unusually large group of thugs almost everyday with his superstrength. As the events progressed everyday I grew more and more suspicious as to why those thugs were attacking Shizuo, when he had done nothing to them, I soon found my answer sitting in the library, watching as Shizuo hurtled a street sign at the largest group of gangsters to attack him yet.

"It's amusing to you isn't it Izaya-senpai?" I questioned he nodded with a chuckle. "You really hate him don't you?" He nodded once again his attention fully focused on the scuffle below. "So is that why you send all of these people after him?" He nodded again but hesitated as he realized what I'd asked him. "I knew it." I turned from him and headed to the door.

"What will you do?" He questioned his tone was amused, I paused at the door.

"I'm gonna tell Shizu-chan who the real culprit behind these attacks are." I waited for him to respond.

"You'd betray me like that?"

"It's not a betrayal if i'm doing what you want now is it?" He was silent and I took that as a sign to leave. I informed Shizuo of Izaya's deeds and as I expected he was furious, and immediatly went after Izaya, the two fought almost everyday and it was alway's because Izaya had provoked Shizuo in some way or another.

I soon found myself befriending Shizuo, he was just as easy to get along with as Izaya, and just like with Izaya I was able to feel when Shizuo needed me most, and thats when I would seek him out, although he wasn't one to talk much about his problems.

As for myself and Izaya, our relationship never changed, we ate lunch together more than usual but that was the only significant difference.

Izaya eventually moved on from middle school as he transitioned into high school, and this time I found myself to be considerably worried. Izaya and Shizuo had alway's been in two seperate wings of the school and still somehow managed to half-kill eachother everyday. I was terrified to think of what might happen when they were just a floor away.


	3. Chapter 3

High School Nightmares

That first year of Izaya's high school life was the same as the year before, Shizuo and Izaya encountered each other a bit more and they still fought like cats and dogs, but otherwise nothing changed, even as I went into high school things stayed the same. Lunch with Izaya, Mikage and Kadota, martial arts practice after school, a few small get togethers with Shinra and Shizuo, or Izaya. Each day went by the same as the last and suddenly I found myself standing infront of Raira Academy as a high school senior.

Izaya, Shizuo, and Shinra had long since graduated leaving Raira in a much more peacful state than it had been in the past few years. But don't get me wrong the first day of my senior year was far from normal. Lunch rolled around and I sat at my desk along with Mikage and Kadota as we ate and chattered, when something unexpected happend.

"Kammi-chan!" Izaya was suddenly perched on the third story window of my class room, his sudden intrusion had made me jump and almost choke on the piece of melon I'd been eating.

"I-Iza-senpai?! Wha-what the hell are you doing here?!" I cried in surprised, he laughed at me as he entered the class room entirely, and took a few slices of melon for himself.

"I came to eat lunch with you as usual of course." He said as he looked me over. "Has your hair alway's been this long and curly?" He questioned as he brushed his hand over my golden locks, which I had worn in a down fashion. "And it looks like you've gotten a figure too!" He said as he made an hour-glass shape with his fingers, I grabbed a peice of melon and harshly shoved it into his mouth, in order to shut him up.

"You're not even a high schooler anymore!" Kadota exclaimed angrily. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Ah~ Dotachiin theres no need to be so strict. I _am _still a student after all, this just so happens to be my lunch break!" Izaya said playfully as he took another slice of melon, "and besides Kammi-chan is still my best friend, and lunch partner." I only shook my head as I too ate a piece.

"I'm sure you're only using her for something selfish." Kadota said in irritation as Mikage nodded.

"Betcha he's hiding from Shizuo again, and he figured he'd come back to have Kammi-chan defend him." She said accusingly, Izaya smirked as he stepped behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders, he lowered his face down toward mine, I only ignored him as I continued to eat my lunch.

"You're right Dotachiin," His voice was low and seductive, "I do _use her_ for selfish reasons." The implication made Kadota choke on his rice and Mikage turn red with anger.

"Don't say things like that! Kammi-chan is too innocent for you to imply dirty things!" Mikage scolded him, I only sighed as I waited for their bickering to end.

"I don't know what you mean by 'dirty things' Mikage-chan. I was only talking about how I pick at her bento all the time!" He said as he took another piece of melon from my boxed lunch.

"Thats not what you meant at all!" The two shouted, then a loud crash was herd as the door to the classroom was ripped from its hinges.

"Iiiii-zaaaaayaaaaa-kuuuun!" Shizuo roared as he layed eyes on the raven haired man.

"Well thats my cue!" Izaya exclaimed, as I handed him the last piece of melon for the road, he took it quickly and gave me a wink then he turned and leapt out the window, Shizuo hurried after him. As the blond approached the window I stood blocking his path, he growled down at me as if he were a wild animal.

"Get outta my way Kammi-chan!" He ordered, I shook my head and reached into the breast pocket of my uniform.

"No, Shizu-chan needs to calm down," he growled as I used the nickname Izaya had given him, I took his hand in mine and placed money in his palm. "Go buy yourself some milk, promise me you will." As I said this to him the anger in his eye's subsided somewhat and he sighed before he smiled down to me.

"Alright then, I promise." He said as he placed a large hand on my head and ruffled my hair around. "Thanks squirt." Then he left the room the way he'd come in, through the door.

I turned to the window Izaya had jumped out of and I found the dark haired man standing across the street from the school, smirking up at me I sighed once again before waving to him. And that was it, that was how most of my senior year went on.

The end of the year was nearing as Chirstmas slowly came into view bringing with it a thick white blanket of snow. I was on my way home from school that day, but instead of going straight home I had begun searching for Izaya as I found that familiar prickle form on the back of my neck. On the way I ran into Shizuo so I knew that whatever was wrong with Izaya it had nothing to do with the blond.

"Why're you lookin' for that Flea?" Shizuo answered my question with one of his own. "You shouldn't hang around 'em you're too good for that Maggot."

"Thats not an answer Shizu-chan!" I exclaimed slightly frustrated at how little he worried for Izaya.

"Tsk. I haven't seen him, if I had I would've killed him by now." Was his response, I thanked Shizuo then hurried on and found myself at Russia Sushi where Simon greeted me and handed me a flyer.

"Izaya? Yes, yes, I see him a while ago, he say something about a deal maybe? He walk 'cross street where he meet bad looking-guy. I think he may be in trouble." Simon answered with concern in his voice.

"Which way did they go?"

"They go 'round corner and down street to left, that all I know." I turned to leave but before I could Simon stopped me by placing an oversized hand on my shoulder. "You help him, yes? You help Izaya stay away from trouble, help him stay away from underground?" His words were more of a plea than a question.

"I'll do my very best, I promise." With that I took off.

I ran all around the city for what felt like hours, when I glanced at a nearby clock I discovered I actually had been. I was exhausted but unwilling to give up, finally after another hour of searching I went down an alley-way which had trash piled on either side of its narrow walls. I was nearing a small dumpster when I herd a small moan coming from the other side of it, and so I hurried over and thats when I found him.

Izaya Orihara lay on a pile of trash covered in blood and filth, his eyes fluttered helplessly as he tried to hang on to conciousness. I rushed to his side as I began to assess the damage that was dealt to him, but I couldn't see anything for the darkness of the alley and all of the blood.

"K-Ka...Mmi...Chan?" Izaya's voice was weak and trembling as I checked his pulse which seemed to be slowing, I sat him up straight and he groaned in pain, I put one of his arms over my shoulder and began to half-carry him out of the alley.

"Don't worry," I was feeling strangely calm and i'm not sure if I was in shock or if I was trying reassure him. "It's me and i'm taking you to Shinra-senpai now, you'll be fine." I looked to him and found that his eyes were closed, I wasn't sure if he'd finally passed out or if he'd died but I continued to Shinra's anyway.

As I stummbled into the appartment Shinra rose from his couch, and Celty emerged from the kitchen the two of them hurried over to me, Shinra took Izaya's other arm and looped it over his shoulder as I had done, Celty opened a nearby door which lead to a room which resembled that of a hospital, I assisted Shinra with laying Izaya down onto the bed and he began to examine the injured man, Celty pulled me out into the living room where she gave me warm tea and asked me questions.

"I had that feeling I normally get when he's in danger, so I came running." I told her, "I wish I'd been able to find him sooner..." Celty began to type a message on her phone but I continued speaking before she could finish. "I had actually passed by that alley a couple of times, I didn't think that I'd find him there... I should've looked sooner, should've followed instinct instead of logic."

'It wasn't your fault. You know that right?' I read her message carefully before I responded.

"Yeah I know that. But I still can't help but wonder why I didn't go into that alley first..."

After a while Shinra came into the living room with a grim expression on his face.

"Six stab wounds, three gun shot wounds, and apparent various beatings." The doctor exclaimed as he sat next to me, "whoever it was Izaya pissed off, they must've been tough."

The three of us talked for a while, before I decided to leave. On my way out the door Shinra assured me that Izaya would be fine and that I had nothing to worry about, he was wrong. As I wandered home I couldn't help but think I had already begun to break the promise I made Simon, and before I knew it I found myself standing infront of the large Russian who looked down at me with concern.

"Is everything okay, Little Girl?" He questioned as I felt a lump form in my throat.

"Iza-senpai is hurt, he'll be okay bu-but." I felt my voice crack as my eyes grew hot with tears. "Simon I don't think I can keep that promise, I don't think I'll be able to keep him away from things like this." He once again placed his large hands on my shoulders as he smiled brightly down to me.

"You wrong." He said which caused me to blink in confusion. "Little Girl is strong, if she can make even Shizuo stop in middle of fight, then she can stop Izaya from getting in big trouble yes?" He lowered himself down to my height so we were eye to eye. "Do not doubt yourself, you can protect friends better than anyone else." With that he straightend himself and handed me a coupon, which made me smile.

"Thanks Simon, I appreciate it." I went home feeling lighter than I originally had.

I skipped school the next day so I could visit Izaya. Shinra and Celty were happy to see me as they alway's were, and Shinra began to update me on Izaya's condition.

"He's already causing us all kinds of trouble with his bossy attitude! He's got his mind set on going home and keeps trying to leave, but I need him to stay so I can keep an eye on him." Shinra said as he lead me to the room Izaya inhabited, "will you please talk to him about that?" I nodded as he opened the door for me.

"Ah~ my savior arrives!" Izaya exclaimed his signature amused smirk seemed weaker than usual. "Thanks by the way." I sat in a chair near his bed.

"Shinra tells me you're feeling better." I said as I looked at him acussingly, "trying to leave here so you can rip your stitches out? I would advise against that." Izaya laughed.

"Yeah well I have buisness to attend to." At that I lowered my eyes.

"Buisness? Like whatever buisness got you all beat up last night?" He laughed again.

"That would be correct!" His tone was light hearted which frightend me somewhat.

"Iza-senpai, I wish you wouldn't do things like that... You could've died last night and..." I trailed off as a sigh escaped me, I looked back up to him. "I won't always be around to help you out, neither will Shinra-senpai."

"I've got reasons for the things i'm doing, big plans actually." Was his only response.

"Yeah? Well what good are plans if you get yourself killed before you complete them?" He looked at me wide eye'd for a moment, "look I can't control you, I know that... All i'm saying is that you need to ease up a bit." I smiled at him in an attempt to defuse the intensity of the situation. "I know you've been involved with gangs and other underground stuff like that, just... Take it easy okay? Be careful, please... For me?" He sighed as he ran a hand through his black hair.

"Man you know I can't say no to those damn puppy-dog eyes of yours!" He growled, which caused me to laugh.

"By the way, I got you a get well present." I said as I handed him a plastic bag, he took it and looked to me suspiciously.

"Does it also count as a Christmas gift?" I shook my head and he smiled as he pulled out a dark coat trimmed in fur, he seemed to like it well enough, and even if he didn't he could alway's exchange it. We talked for an hour or so before I decided to let him rest, he was reluctant to see me leave but he didn't really have a say in the matter.

After a week or so spent under the watchful eye of Shinra, Izaya was finally able to return home and to his regular life, which included him coming in through the window of my school in order to steal some of my lunch again.

"Kammi-chan always makes the best lunches!" Izaya exclaimed as he stuffed his hands into his fur trimmed coat.

"I've offered to make you, your own lunch many times I just can't understand why you continuously refuse." I said. Izaya had decided to walk me home that day, for whatever reason.

"It's just more fun to share yours!" He grinned.

"I think you mean take."

"Waaaa, Kammi-chan is so mean."

I was about to retort when I got the slightest of prickles on the back of my neck, I paused on the side walk and began to look around, Izaya looked to in confusion before he questioned me as to why I was acting strangley all of a sudden.

"Iza-senpai, I think you should go on without me." I turned away from him as I headed down a different street, he followed me a little ways.

"Why? Whats up?" He questioned as he blocked my path, I looked down to the grouund.

"You're not gonna like it but-"

"Is something wrong with Shizu-chan?" He interuptted me quickly, I gave him a nod and he smirked. "I say let him suffer!"

"Iza-senpai!" I growled and he held his hands up as a sign that he was backing-off.

"I know, I know, you're not that type of person," he stepped out of my way, "go on." I hurried by him as I pulled out my phone and dialed Shizuo's phone number, no answer, I continued on. I soon found myself at his appartment, I knocked a few times but I got no answer, not even a sound came from inside; so I checked to see if the door was locked, it opened easily, I entered into the small apartment carefully as I did so the living room came into view, Shizuo sat on the couch staring at nothing.

"Shizu-chan? Are you okay?" I questioned, he turned to me calmly but as his eyes came into view I could see a silent rage bubbling up inside him. "What happened?"

"Someone... Attacked... Kasuka..." His words were more desperate and choked than angry. I came over and took a seat by him.

"Is he alright?" I asked as I placed my hand over his.

"Yeah. They said he was in the hospital for a few hours until they finally decided to release him." I felt his hand twitch and then ball into a fist, I quickly went into his kitchen and poured him a glass of milk, which he chugged down in seconds. "It was some crazy stalker chick and her older brother who did it, he's only got a few scratches but still..."

"Well Shizu-chan, would you like to go visit Kasu-kun?" I asked, as I did Shizuo looked away. I knew very well that Shizuo thought he was a disapointment to his younger brother and felt ashamed for not having a better reputation. "Shizuo!" My voice was stern and it seemed to startle the blond.

"You can't sit here feeling sorry for yourself! Your little brother loves you and is no way, shape, or form ashamed of you!" I exclaimed as I took his hand in mine a pulled him to his feet, "c'mon your gonna go visit Kasu-kun now, I'll even go with you, scardey-cat!" I practically dragged him to the door as he stuttered and tripped over his words.

"B-bu-but Kammi-chan! I already talked to him over the phone! He said he was tired and was gonna go to sleep! We can't go see him now!" As he said that I froze, my hand still tightly gripping his own, slowly I straightend myself and released his hand.

"Oh... Well then... We'll just have to visit him tomorrow... Haha... Sorry about that, I get a little... Passionate sometimes." I said sheepishly Shizuo looked down at me wide eye'd.

"No kiddin' you're like and overly sensitive anime character, I thought you were gonna rip my arm off."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad!" I cried, and Shizuo laughed.

"Well anyway, thanks for comin' over you calmed me down a lot. I appreciate it."

"No problem, anytime you need calming down just call me okay?"

With that said I took my leave in order to give Shizuo some much needed alone time. As I left the appartment and entered onto the street, I noticed that the sun had already begun to set, it was getting dangerously close to dark, I had to get home quickly.

_"I'm here soba na iru kara"_ Trust me by Matsushita Yuya began to play as my e-mail alert went off, _"call me boku go iru kara-"_ I quickly went to my inbox as the song cut off, the e-mail was sent to me by someone I didn't know, and the message was strange to say the least.

Subject: Dollars

Sender TaroTanaka

To: KammiAnda

You are invited to join the Dollars, we are a transparent color gang. We have no rules or conditions, feel free to join us at our website.

The message included a website link and a password. I was skeptical at first but I ended up joining the colorless color gang right there, as night fell. I scrolled through the form on the website and it appeared as though the group was dead set on sending a message to the world, 'not all gangs are bad'.

My graduation day came much faster than I'd originally expected it to, I didn't stay for the ceremony because my older brother and I were going to attend our younger brothers graduation from elementary school; besides I wasn't really all that into having everyone watch me walk down an isle in a giant blue robe.

After a small celebration I planned for my younger brother, Izaya showed up at my house unexpectedly and treated me to dinner at Russia Sushi, which was absolutely perfect.

"You know, Kammi-chan, this is our first date!" Izaya exclaimed and I shook my head at him.

"This isn't a date, Doofus, it's an outing."

"Really, you think so?" I nodded.

"And besides, we've gone to plenty of other places, I don't know why you wanna count _this_ as a date when you have others to choose from."

"Ah! So you agree that we've gone out on a date then!"

"I don't think so. But you can call it whatever you want, I don't really care."

"Kammi-chan is no fun!"

High school was over then, and so I tried my best to prepare myself when I entered into the real world, as I left all the dreams of innocent school days in my past.


	4. Chapter 4

Game Of Life

Izaya began to delve ever deeper into the workings of the underground, he also started his own firm and became an information broker. Shizuo went through various different jobs, he was fired everytime he lost his temper but was eventually able to land a job with a debt collection agency. Shinra stayed the same, working as an underground doctor. And I was scouted out by a certain agency, I became an actress which wasn't exactly what I wanted to do with my life, however, it seemed to make my parents proud so I went on with it.

My work eventually lead to Kasuka Hewajima, I played as his love interest in _SIlence Of The Butlers, _playing the role of a cruelly sadistic lovestruck mistress was no where near as difficult as I had imagined it would be.

Izaya and I grew apart once more but I was sure that some way or another we would come back together again. My relationship with Shizuo became significantly stronger, he began to rely on me more and more as I tried to help him get a good hold on his temper. Once he appeared to have complete control Izaya would show up and piss him off, sending Shizuo into an immediate retreat from all the progress we had made.

_ CRRRRASH!_

I glared evilly at the man who knealt before me, as he covered his left eye with his hand small streams of blood ran down his face, and broken glass lay all around his unshaken form; his only response to the situation was to look upon me with an air of stoic indifference, as he'd expected me to be cross with him when he revealed his secret.

"Get out of my sight, Hotaru! I don't want to see your face until further notice!" I demanded angrily, as the professionally dressed Kasuka stood with a grimace, the evilist of smirks appeared on my face. "You know what will happen if you should fail to comply with my orders. If I see even a glimpse of you today you _will_ be punished severly." I said, my voice holding something dark and foreboding.

"CUT!" The director screamed, and he approached Kasuka and I with a grin. "That was absolutely perfect! Great job! Both of you were excilent today!"

Kasuka and I had come in for a last minute shooting of _Silence Of The Butlers,_ it was unexpected and the scene had barely been rehearsed, however if the director liked it then what did I care?

"I enjoyed working with you today, Noemi-chan." Kasuka said, I cringed as he used the name that the movie industry had insisted I use, Noemi Oka meaning Beautiful Cherry blossom, the assigned name assaulted my senses as an insatiabal odor would.

"Kasu-kun, please don't call me that. Call me Kammi-chan." I had attended primary school with Kasuka but we had never really conversated except for in passing.

"Alright, Kammi-chan, but you need to get used to being called Noemi-chan. Thats the name all of your fans know." I looked to him quizically.

"Fans? What fans?" He smiled at that before shaking his head and moving on to his dressing room. I had acted in only a few films by that point, I didn't think that I had any sort of fanbase... Oh how wrong I was.

"Arms up." Kotomi, who worked in wardrobe, ordered softly, I complied. My costume was a victorian dress made for royalty, and it wasn't the easiest thing to get in and out of even with assistance. After twenty-some minutes I was finally out of the overly heavy dress and into my favorite T-shirt and skinny jeans, it felt good to rejoin the twenty-first century.

I checked the time quickly before grabbing my bag and hurrying out of my dressing room, where Kasuka waited for me.

"Kammi-chan, would you like to have lunch with me?" He questioned, I smiled to him but shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Kasu-kun, but I have a class to attend right now, how about dinner instead?" He nodded in response before he added.

"By the way, i'm inviting my brother along, you should invite someone as well."

"I'll do that. I've actually been wanting to introduce you to a good friend of mine for a while now, I think you'll hit it off with her."

After a little while longer of idle chatter I hurried out of the studio and onto campus where I just barely made it in time for my physicology lecture. As I've said before, I didn't really have an interest in acting I was only doing it for the pride of my family, and so if that were to fail I would be able to become a college professor if I worked hard enough. For whatever reason I found myself craving knowledge and only ever wanted to be surrounded by it, maybe it's because of all the years I spent in the library with Izaya. My class ended and I made a call to my good friend Ruri Hirijibe, who met me at the restraunt along with Kasuka and Shizuo, the place wasn't overly fancy but it also wasn't casual; the three of us sat at a small round white clothed table as we waited for our food to come.

"What is this supposed to be? Some sort of weird double-date?" Shizuo half growled, I shook my head at his temper.

"Of course not Niisan, it's only dinner." Kasuka offered. Our dinner was unfortunately uneventful, as most of the day had been, and by the time we were all going our seperate ways I couldn't help but feel truely, painfully, bored. I sat in my town car, staring out the window from the backseat on the drivers side, as Setsuna, my driver, did his best to weave through traffic quickly.

"No need to rush, Setsuna-san, I don't think we'll be going anywhere, anytime soon." I said and he looked at me through the rearview mirror with pericing blue eyes, that held wisdom only somone of his age could aquire, a sweet smile came across his wrinkled face.

"Yes, Miss. Noemi, you're right."

I could've gotten out of the car and walked home but, I would have felt awful for leaving the older man to suffer in such awful traffic alone. We hadn't moved much twenty minutes later, and I felt my boredom increasing when something caught my attention. I squinted as I tried to get a good visual of the shadowy figure that stood across the street, the only thing I could make out were two glowing red orbs.

"Love, Kammi, cut, Kammi." I herd a voice whisper as I continued to stare at the figure in a mesmerized state, suddenly gunshots were fired and the back passanger window was shattered.

"Get down !" Setsuna cried, as he and I both ducked down and covered our heads. Seconds seemed like hours as the shower of bullets finally ended, a terrible sort of warmth erupted from my right hip and arm, as thick blood trickled down. " ! Are you alright?!" Setsuna was turned in his seat looking down on me, he pulled his cell phone from his breast pocket and flipped it open. "Don't worry I'll call fo-" he was cut off by a blade stabbing into his shoulder, he never got the chance to make a noise as the blade cut and stabbed all over him.

There it was that dark figure I had seen standing across the street just before the attack. Did it have something to do with the attack? Was it acting as a decoy earlier? Was it there to finish the job? As the figure moved beside me and seemed to loom over me, I felt something I hadn't since the day Shinra was stabbed, true fear.

"I love you so much, Kammi, cut, Kammi, cut..." It repeated as it raised its blade above it's head and brought it down swiftly onto my stomach, the sting of cold metal slicing through my flesh caused a gasp to escape me and another as it was removed. It had raised it's knife again, when a black shadow knocked the creature from my car completely. Someone grabbed my shoulder as my shot arm screamed from pain, I was dragged from the car and onto the crowded street. I looked around to see that a large group of people had formed around me, and I herd the siren of an ambulance as I was pulled into the black riders arms. Celty had shown me messages she'd typed on her cell phone, but my vision was too blurred to read any of it, I caught a glimpse of paramedics rushing to my side as I fell into unconciousness.

I woke day's later in the hospital at sunset, despite the warm glow emitted by the sun and the many flowers, balloons, and plushies that sat all over the area, the room still appeared harsh, inhospitable, and bland. A nurse attended to me once I'd woken, she'd reminded me of the event that landed me in the hospital, and assured me that Setsuna would live. I requested my bag, which she gave to me with out a word, I handed her some money and told her to order some flowers for the injured old man, with that she left.

I was questioned by the police shortly after my awakening, I told them everything I could remember and they left. I sighed as fatigue settled into my wounded vessel and I closed my heavy eyes.

"Kammi-chan?" A voice brought me from my doze, and as my eyes fluttered open I saw Izaya standing over me wearing the jacket I'd given him three years prior, his face was flushed white, and his rusty eyes were wide, I could only smile weakly at him.

"Whats that look for? You seem as though you've seen a ghost." He took a seat on my bed.

"I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." His tone was serious which was unusual for him.

"You thought I'd die?" He shook his head.

"No I thought you would go into a coma."

"It's still completely possible." He looked to me when I said that, "but I'll try my best to keep concious." He gave me a pitiful smirk, before he looked around the room.

"You've gotten quite alot of attention," he seemed to be less tense then, "your fans have really made a ruckus over this. I'm not including your friends and family in that, of course. We've made ruckuses of our own, Shizu-chan especially." I sighed at the mention of the blond bartender.

"Whats he done? He hasn't hurt anyone has he?" Izaya chuckled.

"Of course he has! He's pissed," Izaya turned to me, "he's been scouring the city trying to find your attacker." As he said that his gaze settled on the matress, and I took note of the small scuff marks on his jacket and face.

"I'm assuming you've done the same then?" He chuckled and stretched his arms over his head.

"Boy, nothing gets past you! Yes, yes, I too have been on the search for the ones who tried to have you killed." I scolded him for doing so, he didn't need to trouble himself with such dangerous things, I told him to let it go the event had passed it was over, and there was no point in searching.

"Hand me my cell phone." I said as I pointed to a nightstand that was just out of my reach, he did so obediantly as he guessed my motives.

"Calling Shizu-chan are you? You know if you do he'll come here, and we'll fight again."

"No, Shizu-chan won't fight you not while i'm here, not while i'm like this." I spoke to him as the phone rang, on the fourth ring Shizuo answered, out of breath and angry.

"What?!" He clearly didn't check the caller ID.

"Shizu-chan. It's Kammi I-"

"Kammi-chan?! Are you alright?! Who did it?! Can you tell me who?! I swear I'll kill 'em dead! I'll kill 'em deader than dead!"

"Calm down Shizuo.' I demanded sternly, earning silence from the bartender and a strange look from the info broker. "Stop searching the city for this guy, it won't help. Besides you're losing hold on your temper again, you know you worry me when you do that." There was a short pause before he spoke again, his voice calmer this time.

"Sorry, I'll try and calm down. I'm coming to visit you now."

"Alright, but, just to warn you, Iza-senpai is here."

"Heeeey~ Shizu-chaaaan~" Izaya exclaimed, evoking a growl from Shizuo.

"Thats fine." After that we ended the call.

"You know Shizu-chan really likes you." Izaya commented which surprised me.

"Yeah, we're friends, he should." Izaya shook his head at me.

"Thats not the kind of like I meant."

"Oh..." Was my only reply, Izaya smirked.

"Shizu-chans such an idiot, he doesn't even know how he feels about you yet!"

"How in the hell do you know all this? You don't even talk to Shizu-chan, outside of threatening his life." I said somewhat flusttered.

"I'm very insightful Kammi-chan!" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shinra-senpai told you didn't he?" Izaya laughed with a nod.

Not long after that, Shizuo appeared for a visit. He barely offered Izaya a glance as all of his attention was trained on me. The two stayed with me until visiting hours were over, and even then they were reluctant to leave, the two never once said a word against each other, they did well they made me proud.

Izaya had thrown me for a loop, Shizuo had feelings for me. I didn't know how I felt about that, I'd never had feelings for anyone, I'd never even had a boyfriend before, due to my lack of interest in dating. I wanted to keep Shizuo as a friend but I had no romantic intentions toward him, I hoped that Izaya was wrong for once and that Shizuo only felt a sort of sibling connection toward me, as I did to him.

It had become difficult to walk, the damage to my right hip had been great, if the bullet had been aimed just a little higher it could've made my leg unusable. I stood looking at the flowers my parents had sent, also the stuffed bear and balloons from my brothers, who had only left a little while ago. As I sat on my bed I took notice of the large rose boquet a fan had sent me, a message was scrawled sloppily onto the small card tied to one of the flowers stems which read:

_To: Noemi-chan _

_ Get well soon, my cutesy little love bird!_ _When your ready just give me a call, and I'll take you out on a date!_

_ Love: Masomi Kida_

A phone number was listed just below the message, I only smiled and shook my head at how naive that kid was. My agent, Nori, entered spewing something about publicity again, I ignored her and told her that we would send thank you cards to every fan that sent me something, Nori smiled at my kindness before she bounced out of the room.

"Kammi-chan!" I turned to find a woman come charging at me, she wrapped her arms around me gently as she spoke. "I was so worried! I never imagined you'd be attacked like this!" When she pulled away from me I smiled.

"Mikage-chan."

"How're you holdin' up?" I looked over her shoulder only to find Kadota, with a small group standing behind him.

"Dotachiin? You're here too?" A young girl dressed all in black stepped out from behind him.

"Waaa! She really does know you doesn't she Dotachiin?" A blond boy came forward, and took my hands in his.

" , may I just say that I am a HUGE fan! I love everything you do!" He exclaimed, Kadota grabbed him by the back of his hoodie and pulled him away from me.

"Alright thats enough, Walker! I knew I shouldn't of brought you in here."

"It's okay Dotachiin," I said with a wave of my hand, "they're not hurting anything." Kadota sighed as he released the boy.

"Not yet anyway," was all he said.

The group stayed for a long while, before they took their leave... Well Walker had to be dragged away by Erika, but for arguements sake, i'm just going to say they left quickly. I had many visitors during my stay at the hospital, most were my close friends and family, others were fans. Yes I know I must've been crazy to let a fan come into my hospital room while I was injured, but I had gaurds stationed inside and all of those fans seemed cool.

My first night back home was a little more than tense for me, I was frightened that an attempt on my life would be made again. Celty and Mikage both offered to stay the night with me, I refused of course, I had to face my fear on my own otherwise I would never get over it.

_"Nakidashisou na kao de furueru hikui sora," _my new ringtone went off, alerting me that I had an e-mail. _"Nani mo kamo ga kowarisou no fuan idaite asu ni obie-"_ The song was cut short as I went to my inbox. I was invited by somone named Kanra to a chatroom, I accepted. When I got to the site I was asked to choose an avatar, I chose one dyed a deep pink color, and a username I wasn't the most original person so I went with something simple...

_-Alice has entered the chatroom.-_

_ Kanra: Hey Alice! Cute name._

_ Setton: Welcome!_

_ TanakaTaro: Hello!_

_ Alice: Hey. What are you guys talking about?_

_ Kanra: Noemi Oka, that famous actress who got attacked by the slasher._

_ Alice: Slasher?_

_ Setton: Uh... Kanra... I think we should change subjects, I feel like thats a bit out there for a newbie._

_ Kanra: Nonesense Setton! She needs to know about this!_

_ TanakaTaro: I agree with Setton, we don't wanna scare her away or anything._

_Kanra: You to Taro?!_

_ Alice: It's okay, I wanna know about it actually. _

_ Alice: Will you tell me more about the slasher Kanra?_

_ Kanra: Of course I will!_

_ Setton: Oh no, here comes Kanra's latest gossip._

_ TanakaTaro: Not again..._

_Kanra: Wha?! You guys are mean!_

I was able to learn all about the slasher, I was intimidated to say the least, and in my new found nervousness I'd failed to notice how much Kanra resembled a certain info broker I knew...

_Alice: Oh... Well thanks for the information..._

_Setton: Ah! You see! You've gone and scared her!_

_Kanra: No I havent!_

_Setton: Have too!_

_TanakaTaro: Please don't be frightened, Alice, Kanra doesn't mean anything by it._

_Alice: Haha I know, I know, i'm not scared at all._

_ Kanra: See! Take that Setton!_

_Setton: Pfft, whatever._

_Alice: Well, it's getting late, I'd better be going now._

_Kanra: Have a goodnight!_

_TanakaTaro: Sleep well!_

_Setton: Talk to you soon!_

_Alice: Bye everyone._

_-Alice logged out-_

I leaned my head back against the soft plush of the couch as I gazed at the high cieling, I began to wonder why it was that I could tell when something was bothering Shizuo or Izaya, but they couldn't do the same with me. My ringtone went off, a simple melody not worth mentioning, I checked the collar ID and knitted my brows together before answering.

"Hello?"

"Kammi-chan? Are you okay?" Izaya questioned over the phone, could he have been able to tell something was wrong or...

"Yeah, i'm fine, perfect actually." I lied.

"Really? I figured you might be afraid to stay by yourself after that attack, especially since it's night time." I looked outside and found that darkness had crept up on me, my breath caught in my throat. "You're not really fine are you Kammi-chan?"

"No... I'm really not..." I began to say that I would call Mikage over to spend the night but Izaya cut me off before I could.

"I'm on my way over there now."

"Wha? no thats okay-" A dial tone interuptted me and I placed the phone on the couch, once Izaya's mind was set on something there was no way of changing it. I waited for some ten minutes before a knock sounded on my door, I was almost reluctant to answer it but I did nonetheless, Izaya entered not bothering to remove his coat or shoes.

"I was wondering if you were going to be okay on your own. I know you're too stubborn to ask for help." He said as he took a seat next to me on the couch.

"True, very true... So how did you know I was doing poorly?" I questioned and Izaya smirked.

"Maybe I've finally gotten your sixth sense." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"No way. You did something." Was my response, he only chuckled innocently at me as he had alway's done when I caught him doing something mischevious.

"Why would you assume that? I'm not alway's up to no good!"

"Yes you are, you did something, you tricked me somehow, I don't know how yet but I know you did! I know you too well Iza-senpai."

"Ah! You wound me!" He cried theatrically, never denying the fact that he'd tricked me, we both knew he had and we both knew that even if he did I wouldn't turn him out, not yet anyway. I sighed in slight frustration.

"Well, since your here, what do you want for dinner?"

Izaya and I spent the night together, he wouldn't take no for an answer. I let him sleep in the guest room nearest to mine. I spent most of the night thinking of how I could've fallen into this trap, the only thing that suggested the moment I was tricked was the chatroom and thats when I figured it out. I got out of bed and went into Izaya's room with out so much as a knock, I quickly went over to his sleeping form and kicked him in the back as hard as I could, causing him to fly from the mattress with a yelp.

"What the hell Kammi-chan?!" He groaned as he sat up to look at me in the darkness.

"Payback for tricking me, Kanra." He blinked a few times before he grinned evilly at me.

"Ah~ I was wondering when you'd figure that out." He stood and apporached me, "but what else was I supposed to do? If I didn't scare you at least a little bit you wouldn't of been able to get any rest tonight."

"I still haven't because of how much I've been scolding myself for being tricked so easily." I retorted, Izaya snaked an arm around my lower back and pulled my body against his in response.

"Then maybe you should sleep with me tonight." His voice was low and seductive, a prank I presumed.

"I think we both know that I wouldn't get any sleep with you around." I said as I pushed myself away from him, and walked to the door.

"You won't even consider it?" I paused, he had been serious. I turned to him.

"Iza-senpai, when-" I jumped when I noticed his close proximity.

"Just sleep, nothing more." His voice was still low, and in the darkness I could see the slightest hint of hurt in his eyes, I sighed somewhat unsure of the situation.

"Just sleep." I agreed, which made Izaya's smirk return, somehow I'd felt as though I'd fallen for another trick. But as I lay in darkness wrapped in his arms I decided that might not be such a bad thing.


	5. Chapter 5

Boycott Love

The night Izaya and I had spent together wasn't our last, he'd alway's wanted to have a sleep over with me, and although I wouldn't allow it more than once a month, under the condition that we would do nothing more than sleep when night came, he was seemingly content with the arrangement.

A year had floated by easily and Ikebukuro slowly became a war zone, the slasher had become more than well known along with the Dollars and the Yellow Scarves. Although he never spoke of it much I could tell that Izaya had something to do with all of it.

"So Noemi-chan, how do you feel about all the current events in your hometown, Ikebukuro?" I was on a talk show with a dashing host, whose name I never bothered to remember.

"It's frightening. Very frightening. Ikebukuro has alway's been my home and I hate to see it in such a state." I answered truthfully.

"Yes, i'm sure it's difficult for you. May I just say that you are absolutely gorgeous?" He turned to the studio audience who had already begun to cheer and applaued, "isn't she gorgeous lady's and gentlemen, isn't she?" I smiled and blushed sheepishly even though I'd become used to such comments. Once the audience calmed down the host began to ask questions again. Are you excited for your debut as a singer? As a model? How do you feel about your upcoming movie? Is it hard to get into character? And then came the question that threw me for a loop.

"So what about this Izaya Orihara fellow?"

"Iza-senpai? What about him?"

"Well, word on the street is..." He paused for dramatic effect, "you two are an item." The audience hooted and hollared at the mention, while I looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"N-no! No! Thats just a rumor, Iza-senpai and I are only friends." I answered.

"Ah I see, then what about this Shizuo Hewajima. Rumor has it you were in a love triangle with these two gentlemen."

"Shizu-chan?! No, no only a rumor, not true at all." I was surprisingly calm even though I felt cornered and nervous, I looked off stage and saw my agent motioning for me to smile, and I did so.

"Well now that we have that all cleared up." He changed subjects with absolutely no transition period. "I hear you're the one who got Yuhei Hanajima and Ruri Herijibe together is that true?" I smiled and nodded, glad to have moved on.

"I introduced them, yes."

Once the interview ended my day got busy, as I traveled to different locations for various different jobs. Modling at the beach, a quick recording studio session, and finally the filming of a special show at Sunshine Sixty. It didn't seem as though my career was failing, unfortunately, and I had so looked forward to becoming a professor to. I was walking home with my agent and a few body gaurds when I suddenly got the strangest feeling. It was as if something had clamped down on my mind and sucked all of my will from me. I walked away from my gaurds as my body moved on it's own, I'd lost control of myself, I was fully concious and aware of myself as I acted like a puppet tied to demonic strings.

I soon came upon a mass of people all with glowing red eyes all with some sort of weapon, I found myself going along with them I even discovered a nearby pipe, and equipped it as a weapon. What was going on? What was I doing? Why couldn't I control myself?

"Shizuo," I herd the people around me call. "Love Shizuo, love Shizuo, we love you so much Shizuo."

There was a ruckus up ahead as I walked amongst the crowd of mindless humans. As I finally came into sight of Shizuo who was taking each person that came at him out, but each time he knocked one down they got right back up and attacked him again.

"Shizuo," my voice came out just over a whisper, however, he turned to me angrily his fist raised high, but when he noticed who I was, he stopped.

"Kammi-chan?"

"Love Shizuo," was my response as I attacked him with my pipe. Why couldn't I stop myself? Why was I attacking my Shizu-chan?! He dodged every attack I threw at him, others continued their own attacks as I had only Shizuo never hesitated to hit them.

"Kammi-chan! Hey! Snap out of it! It's too dangerous for you to be here!" Shizuo exclaimed as he dodged another of my attacks.

Too dangerous for me?! I was attacking him with a metal pipe and he was concerned for my safety?! What an idiot! The onslaught continued for a long while, as I fought for control over my body. My attacks on Shizuo became more and more deadly until finally it was clear that he would have no choice but to hit me. I came at him ferociously and I brought the pipe down toward his shoulder, he caught the blunt object easily enough as I struggled to pull it out of his grasp. He somehow continued to knock other attackers away while I tried to free the pipe of his hold.

"Kammi-chan! Snap the hell out of it!" He screamed. I was attacking one of my closest friends and there was nothing I could do to stop myself.

With a roar Shizuo knocked away a large group of his puppet like attackers, and finally I felt the clamp on my mind losen some before it dissipated and I released the pipe allowing myself to fall to the ground along with most other people. Shizuo knealt down near me as he placed a hand on my back.

"Kammi-chan, you okay?" I looked up to him sadly, and began an endless stream of apologies. "Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay, I know that wasn't your fault."

"B-but I tried to kill you, I tried to kill my Shizu-chan!" I cried, as I felt tears form in my eye's. I had never imagined that I would ever harm any of my friends and it hurt me deeply that I almost had. "I'm sorry, i'm so sorry!" He pulled me close to him as he hushed me softly, my gaurds and agent finally found me being cradled in Shizuo's arms.

"Whats going on here?!" My agent screamed at Shizuo, "what did you do to Noemi-chan?!" I sniffled before I growled at the woman, who backed off immediatly.

"He didn't do anything, it was my fault."

"Stop saying that!" Shizuo ordered sternly, "I know you would never try to hurt me willingly, you said yourself you lost control." He turned to my agent. "I'm taking Kammi-chan home, you guys should do the same."

Shizuo offered to carry me but I refused and found myself walking closely to Shizuo. Once we were at my door he asked me if I wanted him to stay a while, and I did. I wanted to make it up to him somehow, so I decided to cook for him, it wasn't much of a gesture but it was all I could do. We ate dinner before Shizuo finally took his leave.

"Be safe Shizu-chan." I said meakly as he walked out the door. I went and sat on the couch sadly and my phone began to ring, I sent the caller to voice mail but they kept calling me back, clearly they weren't going to leave me alone until I answered.

"Hello?"

"Kammi-chan. I was wondering how your shoot went today? That interview certainly was interesting." Izaya said, I was silent for a long while.

"Iza-senpai... I'm not feeling all too well... Can I call you back?"

"Why? Whats wrong?" His voice held a tremor of concern.

"Shizu-chan was attacked today-"

"Ah! Yes! I herd about that! Isn't it delightful!"

"By me."

Silence. Izaya disliked Shizuo greatly but he knew how I was, he knew that I was beating myself up over it. When he asked for details I explained everything.

"It was because of the Slasher. You got slashed a year ago right? Thats what it was." Izaya told me all about Saika and how I was under the demons spell.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Was my only response.

"Do you need me? I'll come over if you want?"

"No, I think it'd be best if I was alone for a while, but thank you for your concern." I ended the call.

A few months passed and I found that I was feeling much better about the Slasher incident, I no longer felt a depression or as though I would lose control at anytime. I even began to trust myself around Shizuo again.

While I was feeling sorry for myself the war in Ikebukuro had continued on, the Yellow Scarves and Dollars became a big part of it as the Slasher faded in the background somewhat. One day, as I was transitioning from one photo shoot to another, my ringtone went off, another e-mail this one from the Dollars from a TanakTaro whom I'd come to know well.

From:TanakaTaro

Subject: Save the girl!

To: allmembers dollars

Everyone in the Dollars, emergency! The Yellow Scarves have captured a Raira Academy student! She's got glasses, is wearing her uniform, and big boobs! They're behind city hall! If anyones close to her help her, everyone else get over there!

My ring tone began to play uncontrolably I finally decided to turn my phone on vibrate, as to not draw attention to myself. I pulled the hood of my jacket down over my head a little more and adjusted my sunglasses, I couldn't go anywhere in public without a disguise. I was able to steathily sneak away from my manager in order to lend a helping hand, I was just around the corner from the girl's location. I went down a back alley and found a group of men adorning yellow surrounding a Raira student.

I leapt into action, as I began to attack the gang members until most of them scattered away from the girl who I now stood before. I took hold of her wrist and began to run quickly as I lead her away from the gang.

"Hold it!" One screamed as he reached out for us, his hand scraped against the hood on my jacket which fell off my head, allowing my long blond curls to flow freely as I went. I ran out onto the street, the girl in tow, I caught sight of a certain info broker who seemed surprised to see me with the girl. I took note of his presence before heading on.

Quickly I ran through Russia Sushi, where Simon opened up the backdoor for us. I then ran to an old building where I knew a friend would assist her, I came upon a blond foreign woman with sunglasses on her head, I'd met her at the Dollars meeting a few months ago and we became well acquainted.

"Siri!" I called, she nodded to me already aware of the situation, she took the high school girl's hand before she smiled to me.

"You no worry now Noemi-chan, I take care of rest from here!" She said cheerily.

"Noemi-chan? As in the actress?" The student questioned, and I nodded.

"Go quickly! Keep her safe!"

They took off as I went into the ladies restroom and began to look through my e-mails.

-Someones got the girl!

-Who is it?

-I don't know, but she's gotta be a Dollar!

I began to type up a message of my own.

I found the girl. I took her to the Old War building and now she's in the hands of another Dollars member.

I got a new e-mail instantly from TanakaTaro.

Thank you so much!

I put my hood over my head again and walked out of the building. The fact that I'd witnessed Izaya observing the situation could only mean that he had something to do with it, what exactly, I had no clue, but I knew one thing there was no way I was going to my next photo shoot until the girl was safe.

I floated this way and that until I noticed Celty going by, I flagged her down, she was fully aware of the situation and was looking to help, she offered me a ride and I took it. I read e-mails aloud to her so that she wouldn't have to stop for an update.

"The girl has been transformed into a giant pink bunny!" I read the strange e-mail as we continued. It was night time before we found the girl, and that was only because...

"RAAAAAAA!" Shizuo roared as he threw a man in yellow into a nearby building, I couldn't help but laugh. Celty typed up an e-mail explaining the situation before we approached both Shizuo and the girl.

Celty seemed to know the girl well, and as Shizuo noticed me he tried to make up an excuse for losing his temper, I laughed once again.

"It's okay!" I exclaimed as he looked at me quizically. "Shizu-chan just became a defender of justice!"

"Shut the hell up!" He growled before cracking a smile, "i'm gonna turn off my phone, 'kay?" With that he left us.

Celty turned to me as she began to type up a message on her phone, I spoke before she could finish.

"If you want she could stay with me for a while." The headless woman seemed surprised at my offer, "it seems as though you two know each other, I know that you'd be more comfortable with Celty-san, but it would give her time to get her house ready for a visitor."

'Thank you so much, Kammi-chan, I appreciate it.' Celty then showed a message to the girl who nodded.

"I'm fine with that, Noemi-san seems nice." She said, and Celty revealed another message to me.

'I'll only need an hour, nothing more.'

With that settled, Celty lead us back to her bike where a side car big enough for two people had suddenly appeared. The girl and I sat comfortably in the small space as Celty drove on, in a matter of minutes we were at my house. The girl and I both thanked Celty before she drove off.

"My name is Anri Sonohara by the way." She said as she entered my living room, "thank you for saving me, it's a pleasure to meet you Noemi-san."

"It's no problem, I was glad to help and I didn't really do much." I said as I went into the kitchen, "hey you hungry? Tell me what you want to eat and I'll fix it."

Soon enough the two of us sat at my dinner table eating a thick stew that warmed our bellies, Anri seemed like a nice girl I couldn't understand why the Yellow Scarves were after her, she didn't seem to be involved with them... What could've caused that?

"Don't worry Anri-chan, you wont have to stay here too long, Celty-san said she'd only need an hour or so to prepare for a guest." I gave her a welcoming smile, earning a sheepish sort of smirk from her. Anri and I had only just settled in for a movie when a knock came at my door, as I went to answer it I spoke.

"Is Celty-san back already?" I opened the door and Izaya rushed through, I retreated in surpise, I was only able take a few steps back before he grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

"Kammi-chan! What the hell were you thinking going out there like that?!" He yelled down at me in complete rage.

"I-Iza-sen-"

"Do you know how dangerous that was?!" From the corner of my eye I saw Anri stand from the couch. "If they were going after that girl for something so insignificant, don't you think they'll come after you to?!" He was angry. No. He was way past angry, furious really.

"I was only trying to help!"

"Help?! How can you help anyone?! You can barely help yourself!"

"Thats a lie and you know it! Why are you so upset?! This is none of your buisness!" I began to pull away from him, but he roughly brought me closer, our faces only a few inches apart, as he spoke.

"Yes it is! At this rate you'll be a casualty in this war and it'll be my fault!" He cried, I looked on him with wide eyes as he began to calm himself, he losend his grip on me. I knew he was behind something. "I won't be able to live with myself if I end up getting you killed."

"Iza-senpai." He looked to me with narrow eyes, "you're scaring Anri-chan." He looked over to the girl who stood staring at us, unsure of what to do or say. "Go home Senpai." His rust colored eyes fell back on me, "_now!_" He sighed heavily and left without another word, I closed the door behind him and approached Anri who seemd concerned.

"I'm so sorry, Anri-chan, I have no idea what came over him." To my surpise she gave me a sincere smile and shook her head.

"No it's okay, I actually thought it was kinda sweet." I raised an eyebrow at her, "the way he was so concerned for you, it must mean that he really loves you." At the mention of the word _love_ my heart skipped a beat and all the oxygen was knocked from my body.

"N-n-n-no! N-not like that!" I exclaimed and then another knock came at the door. "Dear god please not _him _again!" I exclaimed as I slowly opened the door and peaked out, Celty stood paitently as I breathed a heavy sigh of reliefe and let her in.

"Anri-chan I think it's time for you to go." I said and Anri came to meet Celty at the door, the black rider looked to me for a while before typing a message on her phone.

'Are you okay Kammi-chan? You look like you've been hit by a bus!'

"Uh... I'm fine Celty-san." Before the two left I gave them what was left of the stew, I waved goodbye to them and once they were out of sight, I closed the front door and locked it.

He admitted it, Izaya actually told me that he was responsible for something thats going on in the war, what that something was I had no clue, and at that moment I wasn't really willing to question him. Izaya had been my friend for seventeen years, it made sense that he would be concerned for me, but he caused such a scene it was bizarre for him. I made my way upstairs; to my bedroom I closed my door and began to rumage through a drawer for pajamas.

"I was wondering when you'd come in here." The voice frightend me I turned quickly to find Izaya perched in the window of my room, wearing his signature jacket, the one I'd given him four years ago, I was really starting to hate that jacket.

"What the hell are you doing in here?!" I growled as he hopped down from the window ciel and strode toward me.

"You locked the front door, what else was I supposed to do?"

"Oh I don't know maybe, _not_ break into my house!"

"But I need to talk to you."

"I know that, but I don't wanna listen to anything you have to say right now, so I'll repeat myself. _Go home!_"

"No."

"_No_? What do you mean '_no_'?"

"I want to resolve this issue now, I don't like it when you're mad at me." I huffed as I spun away from him, I opened my bedroom door only to have it forcefully slammed shut, I turned to find Izaya standing beside me his hand resting on the door to prevent me from leaving. "Please Kammi-chan, just listen to me alright." I crossed my arms.

"I expect you to tell me _everything_ Izaya-senpai, including your involvement in this damn war!"

"Alright, I will."

We sat down on the bed and Izaya told me everything he'd done, and just why he'd been so upset earlier. He was pulling me into the war he'd started and he didn't know what to do about it so he paniced.

"I-I knew you were involved with this somehow, but I never imagined you'd cause such an awful thing!" I exclaimed as I stood.

"Please, don't be angry Kammi-chan." He said as he stayed seated,

"Why? Tell me why you've done this? Do you know how many people you've hurt with this?!"

"I did it to..." He trailed off, and I looked at him suspiciously.

"What?"

"If I tell you... You'll think i'm crazy."

"Ugh! Are you telling me it gets _worse_?!"

Eventually he revealed to me that he had come to posess Celty's lost head, and his goal was to create a great war that would awaken it from it's sleep. Then we were both locked in a heavy silence for a long time, he was the first to break it.

"Kammi-chan... Are you-"

"Get. Out. Now." As I spoke a firmiliar prickle formed on the back of my neck.

"...Wh-what?"

"Get out! Orihara-senpai, get out of here! I've been able to over look the bad things you've done in the past, but this has gone too far! Get out! Get out of my house! Get out and don't come back!"

Izaya's eyes shimmered as he stood and turned away from me, he left out the window and the prickle that formed on my neck intensified, Izaya needed me he was in pain, however, so were the many people he'd manipulated into starting a war.


	6. Chapter 6

Guide To Ending Wars

I had to do something, Izaya had messed everything up he had caused so much trouble and suffering, I had to find a way to fix it without causing anymore conflict. But how? I ran around the city wondering silently what I should do, I'd first thought to tell Celty where her head was, but after thinking on it found that it would only cause more trouble. So then I thought about going to the Yellow Scarves leader and explaining how he had been manipulated, but that would definantly not end well. I had no options, no idea what to do and still yet I ran all through the city until I came crashing into Simon, who had been standing infront of Russia Sushi talking to Shizuo, I fell on the wet ground with a harsh thud and both men looked down to me.

"Kammi-chan? What the hell are you doing out in the rain without an umbrella? Or a coat?!" Shizuo questioned as he helped me to my feet, and pulled me under his umbrella. When had it started to rain? I looked up to Simon.

"I'm sorry, I really wasn't able to keep my promise after all, Simon." The larger man looked on me in confusion. "I-I couldn't keep Orihara-senpai out of trouble and now, he's caused so much of it I-I-I c-can't even stand to look at him anymore!" I said as I felt the back of my eyes burn with the threat of tears, I tried my best to fight them back.

"What?! What'd that Maggot do?!" Shizuo growled, which only brought me closer to tears.

"I-I-I don't know what to do! I-I don't know how to fix it! What do I do?!" I cried, and Simon put his hands on my shoulders I looked up to him quickly.

"Little Girl's talent... Is protecting her friends... If she cannot do this then she is alway's there to help them through there troubles, yes?" He said this with a smile, but I could only frown as my gaze fell to the wet ground.

"He's gone so deep into so much mischief, I don't think anyone can help him, not even himself." Simon moved his hands away from me.

"How you know, if you no try?" He questioned, I stiffened as he spoke that prickley feeling on the back of my neck growing ever stronger. "You do what you feel right, follow instincts."

"My instincts?"

"Is that not what brought you out in rain?" Simon questioned, and then I took off.

"Wha- hey! Kammi-chan! Don't run off in the rain without a coat! You'll get sick!" Shizuo scolded as I continued on. I'd never been one to follow my instincts I had alway's gone by logic, but that was the thing that kept me from finding Izaya in an alley when he was hurt, the thing that kept me from seeing all of the trouble Izaya had truely caused, well the time for logic had long since passed as I let my body go where ever it saw fit.

I ended up infront of a large building in Shinjuku, I couldn't believe that I'd run that far and that I'd barley felt tired. I hurried inside and up to Izaya's condo.

I was just about to knock on the door when I stopped, instead I put my ear to the door and listened for a moment or so. Many voices, all male none of them were Izaya. I moved to open the door, which I discovered was locked. I reached to the back of my head, and pulled one of the bobby-pens holding my hair up from its place, I knelt down as I quietly began to pick the lock. A small click was herd, I paused a moment as to make sure I hadn't been discovered, the voices continued as I stealthily crept inside, there I saw Izaya, sitting at his desk, being held at gun point as a large group of six men surrounded him.

"You think you can just manipulate the Awakusu-kai like that?! You think fessin' up'll make us go any easier on ya?!" A foul faced man questioned, while cocking the gun in his hand.

"No I don't but I do think that it will bring this war in Ikebukuro closer to it's end. As your leader just said, he'll clear things up with the groups involved and things should quiet down afterward, especially since I'll be dead."

I tensed at the thought of Izaya's death, I had no idea why, he'd done so many horrible things to so many people, and I thought I had come to hate him for it, had I? No I couldn't have could I? Why else would I be there? You wouldn't try to save someone you hated would you? Would I? I didn't know, all I knew was I needed to get Izaya out of there.

"Shoot him." Someone demanded coldly, the foul faced man from earlier readied himself and thats when I leapt into action. I attacked the men nearest to me, attracting all of their attention, one man ran up to me and grabbed me from behind, I struggled to get away from him while he yelled to the fould faced man.

"Shoot the bitch don't just stand there!" He aimed his gun at me, but quickly collapsed to the ground when a knife was put into his back, Izaya stood from his desk as I threw my head back, hitting the man that was holding me right in the nose, I swirled around and kicked him on the side of his face and he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Kammi-chan what the hell are you doing here?!" Izaya questioned angrily, as he stepped over unconscious bodies.

"I had a feeling you might need me." He seemed surprised for a long while before he smirked to me as he usually did.

"How sweet." A deep voice said, I turned to find an older looking man in a white suit staring us down with two of his henchmen backing him up. "Now as for your death Izaya."

"Yeah, well actually could you not kill me," he put an arm around my shoulder. "Love stricken couple and all that." I looked at him in question, when had I ever said anything about love?

"Listen, is there another way you guys can work this out instead of killing?" I questioned, the older man smirked down at me.

"How did such an innocent little thing wind up with a guy like you Izaya?" He questioned.

"I have no idea , but I choose not to question it." This time was the one who raised a gun, I stepped infront of Izaya quickly.

"Stop it! Theres got to be another way to fix this other than murder!" I said, and laughed .

"Hey Boss, isn't that Noemi Oka? The actress." One of his henchmen said, causing to study me closely a smirk broke out onto his face.

"Yeah, I think you're right." He lowered the gun, "Tell ya what Noemi-chan, you come work for me and I'll let Izaya live."

"Fine then." I answered quickly which no one seemed to expect.

"I appreciate the gesture." Izaya said as he stepped infront of me, "but I just can't let you go with these guys."

"Well then I guess we have our answer." raised his gun once more.

"Iza-senpai will give you all the information you want for free for the rest of his life!" I cried.

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed as all eyes went to me.

"He'll tell you whatever you want free of charge forever!" This made take pause.

"Well, I would hate to lose such a good informant."

"Kammi-chan! What the hell are you doing?!" Izaya questioned me quietly.

"Saving your ass now shut the hell up!" I answered sharply.

"Alright, you've got a deal." said, with a smirk. "In exchange for the informants life we get free information until the end of his life. However, if you want me to clear things up with the groups involved in this war, then Noemi-chan will have to come with me."

"Sorry but, there no way i'm letting her go." Izaya answered quickly, laughed as he approached the door.

"I don't blame you I wouldn't either. Alright then, I'll be looking for intel sometime soon Informant." left as his still concious henchmen carried out the ones Izaya and I had taken down earlier.

"Geez." I groaned, "that was stressful!"

"Kammi-chan." Izaya said as I looked up to him, "I'm glad you showed up." Finally the prickling sensation on the back of my neck faded, as Izaya and I sat down on his couch to try and figure out how to stop the war.

"Tanaka Taro is the Dollars leader?" I questioned and Izaya nodded.

"I know that he trusts you Kammi-chan, especially since you helped save Anri, if you asked to meet him in person he'd agree." I contacted Tanaka immediatly, I told him that I would take him to Anri he couldn't agree to meet me fast enough.

"But what about the Yellow Scarves?"

"I know their leader but... He doesn't exactly have control of his gang anymore, we'll have to inlist the services of the Dollars, Slasher, and The Black Rider." I nodded not bothering to question anything Izaya said, as I headed out ot meet the leader of the Dollars Mikado Ryugamine.

I met him infront of an old building because I knew not many people would be around it, he showed up as planned and he was more than surprised at my idenity.

"Alice?! Y-you're Noemi Oka?!" I hushed him as I explained everything that went on, once he knew I was a friend of Izaya and Celty I had his full trust.

"We need the assistance of the Dollars to stop this war, Mikado will you help?" He agreed without hesitation. My phone went off shortly after Izaya informed me that both Celty and Anri were on bored.

"Alright then, i'm heading over there with them now."

"What?! No! Kammi-chan you can't go!" Izaya exclaimed, I hung up on him swiftly I wasn't in the mood to argue. Once again my phone went off, this time it was Shinra who called me.

"Shinra-senpai, I don't have time for-"

"Shizuo's been shot." I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Wha-what?!" I cried.

"He was shot but he's okay. You know, toughest guy in Ikebukuro, he's on his way to lend a hand with the Yellow Scarves."

"No! He needs rest! Stop him!"

"Kammi-chan, they're the ones who shot him, he's not backing down." I had already began running beside Mikado once more.

"Fine, but after this, he's gonna drink milk until he pops!" I hung up on Shinra and continued on.

Mikado and I entered into the Yellow Scarves head quarters just a while after Celty and Anri, no battles had begun yet but from the look of the blond boy covered in his own blood, I could tell that things would become deadly soon.

It all began with a chubby man adorning a yellow jacket throwing a steal rod at Anri, who sliced through it with here katana easily. I can't go into much detail from this point in the fight, not because it's hard to relive just because it's all a giant blur.

I took out quite a few gangsters on my own, thanks to my martial arts skills. I was in a real struggle with a girl a bit younger than me when a large man came at me with a dagger, with the girls skilled attacks I had no time to dodge only a small window to block. As I readied myself for the knife the man was grabbed and thrown to the side, Kadota stood grinning down at me as I delivered a round house kick to the girls neck, there was a cracking sound and then she was down, I silently hoped I hadn't killed her before I moved on.

There was nothing but violence and madness in that awful place, a gunshot rung throughout the large hideout as people began to scatter but not flee. I was fighting off three more attackers, when a fistful of my hair was grabbed and I was yanked back as a strong arm wrapped tightly around my throat, I had been pulled into the arms of a man with bad breath, and a gun.

"Don't you come any closer to me! If you do I'll kill her!" He exclaimed, nothing stopped no one stared, everyone just kept fighting, except for one person, the boy who was covered in blood stood before us unmoving.

"Horada, theres no need to bring her into this, this fight is between you and me." His voice was much too mature sounding for his age.

"Like hell it is!" Horada screamed, and shot his gun upward once, then everyone's attention was on us.

"Kammi-chan!" I looked and saw Izaya come running up, his knife drawn and layered with blood.

"Let her go!" Shizuo exclaimed, he was side by side with the information broker, a traffic light in the his hand.

"I swear you come any closer and I'll shoot the bitch's brains out!" His arm tightend around my neck and it became harder for me to breath, I began to feel dizzy and light headed I thought I was going to black out when the mans grip on me released completely. I fell to the ground gasping for air as I turned to the blond boy who'd somehow been able to free me. He offered me his hand and I took it greatfully.

"Thanks." I said, and he winked at me as I stood.

"No problem, maybe this time you can send me a get well soon card 'my cutesy little love bird'." Once he said that I immediatly flashed back to my time spent at the hospital after the Slasher attacked me, this boy had sent me a card and his name was...

"Kida?" I had to ponder over the name for a bit, but he gave me a weak smile before he fell unconcious, Mikado was there to stop him from hitting the concrete and Anri came to the boy's side shortly after.

"Hey, you alright Kammi-chan?" Shizuo questioned as he looked down on me, I smiled and nodded in response.

I felt an arm wrap around me as I turned to look up at Izaya, whose expression was hardend, I looked at him somewhat quizically before I heard the screech of a car pealing out, I looked around to find Horada was nowhere to be seen.

"Well," I looked back to Shizuo, who had his back turned to Izaya and I. "Better go stop that Jackass from escaping." He hurried off, traffic light in hand.

I wondered silently if what Izaya had told me was true, did Shizuo have feelings toward me? If he did had I hurt him in some way?

"Kammi-chan," Izaya broke me from my thoughts, "i'm sorry for what I did, I didn't think-"

"It's okay Iza-senpai, i'm not gonna look at the awful things you did, i'm gonna look at how you tried to fix them and how you succeeded."

An ambulance was called, Masomi was taken away and a few of the gangsters were arrested, Horada was among them, after Shizuo got a hold of him that is. Izaya walked me home and I offered that he stay the night.

"But I thought I wasn't aloud to stay over more than once a month." His voice was mocking as I lead him into the house.

"Well, this time I'll make an acception." A mischevious look appeared in his eyes as he pulled me close to him.

"Any _other_ acceptions your willing to make tonight?" I smirked as I drew closer to him.

"Nope." I pulled away from him with a laugh as he pouted like a small child. "You're such a baby, pouting when you don't get what you want."

"You never know the nights still young, I might still be able to trick you into giving me what I want."

"It's four in the morning, the nights almost over with." His smirk grew as he gazed down at me.

"Then I'd better work fast huh?" He exclaimed as he moved to grab me up, I dodged easily and he chased me up the stairs with an evil smirk.


	7. Chapter 7

I Love You

Izaya and I had become closer than we ever had, his motives toward me became clear quickly and our relationship had become intimate, Izaya was alway's extremely straight forward about it he wasn't one who believed in romance, but then again neither was I. And so, as you can imagine, months later when Izaya asked me to be his fiance it was little more than casual and far less than extravigant, it sort of went like this:

"Iza-senpai, would you stop packing my bags?! Why are you even doing that?!"

"Well I can't expect you to move without bringing your clothes with you!" He looked me over once with a devilish smirk, "although you really could do without them."

"Moving? I'm not moving!" I exclaimed as I began to unpack the suitcase he'd just closed.

"Yeah you are." He pushed me away from the bag and closed it again. "You're moving in with me!"

"What? Why?"

"Well I assumed that my fiance would live with me!" He exclaimed as he put a diamond ring on my finger, I frowned at him and shook my head.

"Oh I see, and why should I be the one to move and not you?" I questioned as I put my hands on my hips.

"Because Shizu-chan and I will get into more fights if I live here instead of Shinjuku." He opened up a draw and began to pull out my underwear with a grin.

"Pervert!" I cried, as I took the garment from him and pushed him out of my room. "And if you're gonna make excuses do a better job of it, you're just too lazy to move all of your stuff here!" He chuckled in response.

"True, true, it's easier this way don't you think?'

"Not really, it's unfair and you know it."

"So is that an agreement then?" His smirk never faded.

"I'm not moving today," I said as I took Izaya's hand and pulled him down stares.

"Oh really then do you have something _else_ panned?" He looped an arm around me.

"Yes actually, i'm staying home and sleeping until tomorrow." I opened the front door and pushed him outside. "Without any company!" I shut the door gently.

"Alright then I'll help you move in tomorrow my beautiful fiance!" Izaya's voice was slightly muffled as he spoke through the door, I peaked out the second story window and saw him skipping away happily, I only smiled and shook my head.

I soon found myself moved into Izaya's condo, it wasn't strange for me to be living there, even though I hadn't visited his place often I knew that I was fully weclomed there, and needed no time to become used to my new enviornment.

"Iza-senpai, it looks like Celty-san's in trouble with those biker cops again." I said causing Izaya to look away from his computer and to the TV screen. He soon approached the couch where I sat staring at the screen. Celty seemed to be corned be the bike cop when her motorcycle suddenly transformed into a headless horse, she scaled the wall of a nearby building easily.

"Wow, I didn't even see that coming." Izaya said, I looked to him quizically.

"Why? You know that Celty-san can do stuff like that."

"No I meant that cop, I think it was Kazuhara Kinnosuke."

"Ah, right, of course you'd be interested in the human thats after her." Izaya chuckled, as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Thats the one thing I dislike about you, Kammi, you don't share my love of humans." Izaya had completely stopped calling me 'chan' he found it unnecessary for an intimate couple.

"You know I dislike people Iza-senpai." Was my only response.

"Why don't you just call me Izaya?" He spoke in a low, seductive tone, as he began to kiss my neck.

"Because you've alway's been Iza-senpai, it's difficult for me to stop calling you that."

"Try harder." He nibbled lightly on my ear causing me to gasp and pull away from him.

"Cut it out!" He laughed evilly at me.

"But it's fun!" His fingers began to roughly tickle my sides, I laughed as I tried to escape him.

"Would you stop assaulting Kammi-chan for five seconds and do at least _some_ of your work!" Namie scolded Izaya, as she began looking through a giant binder.

"Waaa, but i'm having so much fun doing this!" He delievered a particularlly rough poke to my side causing me to yelp and his grin to widen. "Besides this isn't assault she's my finace!"

"It's still assault!" I cried, "now get the hell off me!" He made it clear that he was going no where and so I enlisted Namie's services, with her help Izaya was pulled far away from me. "Thank you Namie-san!"

"Any time." She said with a smile, Namie and I had become good friends since I'd moved in we got along well, which was more than I could say for Izaya and Namie's relationship.

"You might wanna watch it Namie! I might just cut your paycheck!" Izaya threatend somewhat irritated, Namie growled at Izaya and I smiled at the two.

"Hey Iza-senpai, do you remember that time I agreed to marry you?" As I said that Izaya's smirk returned and he had a sudden change of heart on cutting Namie's pay.

"Well I have to go to work now." I said as I stood from the couch.

"Oh you're shooting a _love scene _in the movie you're working on right?" Namie put extra emphasis on the words 'love scene' and that caused Izaya to look to me strangely. "Whose the _love scene_ gonna be with again? That idol right? Matsushita Yuya? He's a cutie I bet you'd hit it off better with him than with Izaya-"

"_Namie-san!_" I shouted causing the woman to jump and look to me. "Shut up!"

"You didn't tell me you had to do a love scene with another man." Izaya had somehow snaked his way behind me. "I don't think I like it." He wore a smirk and he seemed to be teasing me.

"Well you'll have to deal with it then." I quickly left the appartment, I didn't like the look in his eye when he spoke to me, he seemed like he was up to something and I wanted nothing to do with it.

I was on set not long after I left Izaya's appartment I was right in the middle of the love scene, and just as Yuya and I were about to kiss, the doors to the set slammed open with a loud crash, everyone flinched and as I turned I saw Izaya approaching with a large grin.

"_That,_" he pointed at me, "is _my_ finace!"

"Izaya! What the hell are you doing?!" I questioned as my face redend somewhat. He hurried over to me and wrapped his arms around me as he spoke in a seductive voice.

"Her body belongs to me and me alone, her lips included." He looked Yuya in the eye's as he said this. "So naturally i'm gonna protect my property from trespassers." Yuya's face flushed white as he became fearful of Izaya who simply smirked at him. "Sorry but I can't allow this love scene to go on! Bye~" He swept me up and ran out of the studio with me, he only put me down when we were three blocks away, I complained all the while.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" I almost yelled at him, he only laughed in response.

"I was only protecting you." His smirk irritated me to no end.

"Protecting me?! Izaya, do you know what you just did?! You just put us behind schedule in filming! I could lose this part!" I exclaimed, Izaya wrapped me up in his arms.

"I'm very aware of what I've done, Kammi, I've upset you enough to make you call me, Izaya." I blinked as I realized that I had indeed stopped calling him by his nickname.

"Did you really embarass me like that _just_ to get me to call you by name?"

"No. I also did it to let that man know just who you belonged to." His grip on me tightend some as he spoke.

"Izaya, I am not a piece of property, you're being too possesive." I was very used to Izaya acting this way toward me, he alway's had, less so before we were an item but it still didn't bother me as much as it should of.

"I know," he burried his face in my shoulder, "but I can't help it." I pulled out of his grasp and turned to him.

"I'm going back to the studio, you need to go home and quite worrying so much." Izaya offered to walk me back but I knew that was a bad idea, after much arguing I was able to send him home and finish my work, after I apologized to everyone on set of course.

Soon I stood outside of the studio waiting for my driver to pull around when something strange caught my eye, a man with a white hockey mask on and a machete following another man who was dress all in black... Was it? No way it couldn't be! He was just a horror movie character! It couldn't possibly be... Jason? Curiosity took me and thats why I followed them.

Following an obivous murderer. Stupid idea. I was well aware of that, I was also aware that stupid choices like that are what got Jason his victims; yet I still followed the two as I began to rack my brain for an answer. The Hollywood Murderer? That had to be it! Soon I found myself standing in the middle of a park at night time, watching the two strangers fight.

The man in black came at Jason swiftly, attacking him from all sides, Jason retaliated with his machete but the man in black easily dodged it. What was I going to do? Why had I put myself in such a situation? The two had slowly gravitated toward me. The man in black stood before me facing his attacker head on, I couldn't see what Jason was doing due to the man blocking my view, I took a step back readying myself to run when, the man in black suddenly moved from my sight he was replaced with Jason flying toward me with his machete. He landed on top of me pinning me to the ground and I cried out in fear, he raised his machete as I looked upon him he paused suddenly.

"Kammi-chan?" An exasperated female voice questioned from behind the mask, there was silence for a moment before I realized who the voice belonged to.

"Ru-" The man in black knocked the Jason imposter away from me, I sat up quickly to watch after them. I was just barely able to take note of the presence of Shizuo and Tom who were then stuck in the middle of the fight. The man in black grabbed Tom's suitcase and came at Jason with it, only to have it knocked away and all of the suitcases contents strewn all about the area.

"Damned petty thieves!" There was a loud ripping noise, Shizuo had pulled the park bench from the ground and was soon wacking the two fighters into the night sky as if they were baseballs.

"Are you okay, Kammi-chan?" Tom offered his hand to me, and I took it greatfully.

"Hey, did those guy's hurt you? If they did then I swear I'll kill 'em!" Shizuo approached as Tom helped me to my feet.

"No-no! It's okay! I'm fine Shizu-chan." I went to pull my hand away from Tom, but he held me firmly in place I looked to him quizically and found that he was staring at my engagement ring.

"This sure is a big rock!" He exclaimed, and Shizuo took a step closer to us to inspect the ring.

"It's probably what those two thieves were after." Shizuo growled.

"Shizu-chan I don't think they were thieves..."

"Hey wait a minute, isn't this an engagement ring?" Tom questioned as he noticed what finger the ring was held on.

"Uh... Well, yeah."

"Ooh, so whose the lucky guy?" Tom questioned, I pulled my hand away from him and smiled sheepishly.

"Thats not really important now is it?" I was afraid of how Shizuo would react to the identity of my fiance, I wanted to keep it a secret for as long as I could.

"Of course it is! Spill squirt!" Shizuo spat, I smiled nervously to them.

"Well... It's... I'm... Uh, engaged to Izaya."

Silence.

Tom looked to Shizuo as if he expected the blond to erupt with red hot fury, I was expecting the same but instead he forced a smile.

"Good for him." He stepped forward, "if that little maggot hurts you in anyway just tell me and I'll rip him to shreds." His voice was far too calm for such a threat. I spoke with them for a while longer before I hurried off.

I headed in the direction the girl in Jason cosplay was thrown, I could only hope that the police didn't already have her in custody. My worry only grew when I felt a firmiliar prickle forming on the back of my neck, I paused at a fork in the road as I thought of calling Izaya, I checked my pockets but discovered my phone was nowhere to be found. I had to of left it at the studio or maybe I dropped it when I was tackled down in the park?

"Woah! Whats money like this doing laying around?!" I turned to find Mairu and Kururi standing near a van, Kururi noticed me immediatly and pointed me out to her sister who quickly ran to me and wrapped me in a hug.

"Nee-nee! I'm so glad you're here we haven't seen you in a long time!" Mairu exclaimed as she realeased me, Kururi came to stand near her sister.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Nee-nee." Kururi spoke softly as she alway's had.

"Yeah! Congrats!" Mairu chirpped, "but I still think you can do better than Iza-nii!"

"Oh really?" I questioned with a smile.

"Yeah! You could have us instead!" She grinned, I simply shook my head, a groan came from behind us we all turned to see a man, dressed all in black and badly injured stumbling in our direction. I turned to gaurd the twins as I took a fighting stance.

"Stay back you two."

"Waaaa! Nee-nee is protecting us!" Mairu squealed in excitement, the man took a few more steps forward before he fell to the ground with a harsh thud. I approached him caustiously, the twins in tow, as I looked down on him I could only just barely make out the extent of his injuries.

"Please... Young Ladies..." He rasped, "...A request... Before I die..." He vomited a pool of blood, and I knelt next to him.

"We'll do what we can for you." Was my response.

"Theres... A sushi... Restraunt... Run by a Russian..."

"We know the place!" Mairu exclaimed, the man requested he be taken there and so I looped one of his lanky arms around my shoulder, Mairu did the same with his other arm and we began to drag the overly tall man into the restraunt where the owner was far less than pleased to take in a casualty and close up shop early.

"My fee is 200,000 yen." Shinra exclaimed nonchalantly I looked to him wide eye'd.

"Shinra-senpai! Thats too much!" I cried.

"Give us a discount!" The owner growled while Simon tried to calm the situation.

"No discount, you pulled me away from my time with Ruri Hirijibe so-"

"Ru-chan? You were with her? Is she okay now?" I questioned as I thought back to the moment, I realized it was her who was dressed as Jason, and fighting the man in black who then laid before me, his face wrapped in bandages.

"Yes. She heals very quickly." Shinra responded, the owner then began to complain that he couldn't pay such a heafty bill at the moment.

"Shinra-senpai, if you want, I could drop by your place with Ru-chan and Kasu-kun." His eye's widend with excitement.

"R-really? You could?" I nodded and crossed my arms.

"Yup, but only _if_ you give them a discount." Shinra agreed quickly as his excitement grew.

"Wh-where am I?" I looked down on the man in bandages as he looked to me then to the owner of the shop. "Oh... Russia Sushi..."

I got up to go and tell Mairu and Kururi that the man had woken, as I approached them I noticed that Mairu seemed somewhat agitated.

"Iza-nii you know something!" She cried, as I came to stand by the two of them.

"Izaya? Whats he done now? Mai-chan?" I questioned as the twins looked to me.

"Nee-nee!" Mairu cried as she reached out to me, "Iza-nii won't help us find the person who lost her money!"

"What? Kammi's there? Put her on!" I could just barley hear Izaya's muffled voice coming from the reciever.

"Tell us about her first, Iza-nii!" Mairu demanded.

"I will! After you let me talk to Kammi!"

The siblings argued for a long while before Mairu finally gave in and handed me the phone, I greeted Izaya normally but he appeared to be irritated and I wasn't sure if it was because of his sisters or me.

Mairu and Kururi had crowded me in order to listen in on our conversation.

"Don't you 'good evening' me!" He growled. "Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to be back two hours ago! And why didn't you call me?! I was about to send a search party!"

"Calm down Izaya! I'll explain everything tonight!"

"Will that be before or after the sex?" Mairu questioned rather loudly.

"Mai-chan!" I cried in embarssment, Izaya growled before he replied.

"Thats none of your buisness!"

"Why is this happening?!" I cried as the twins began to laugh uncontrolably, I forced the phone back into Mairu's hand as I growled. "Take this! I don't want it anymore!"

"Which one the phone or my brother?"

Once her laughter had ended she was met with a dial tone, Mairu began to whine and complain as Kururi attempted to calm her look alike; once she had settled down I told her of the man in black's conciousness and I snuck away once their attention was on him.

Once I had returned to the appartment I explained everything to Izaya, who was less than tolerant of my poor choices.

"Do you realize you could've been killed?" His voice was overly calm, which told me just how angry he really was.

"No. Shizu-chan was there, he wouldn't of let me die and besides, I know her she would never harm me purposely." As I thought of Ruri I lowered my eye's, how had she become a murderer? Why?

"She? The Hollywood Murderer is a woman?" He questioned, I nodded.

"And she's very important to me, I don't want anything bad happening to her, I'm gonna talk to her tomorrow."

"No." His voice was plain, I glared up at him.

"I wasn't asking you."

We were both silent for a long while. I decided to bring something up since we were already talking so seriously.

"Why do you act like you hate your sisters?" Izaya growled and turned away from me as a sign that the conversation was over even though it had barely started. He took a seat at his computer and began to type at an inhuman speed. "Hey! I asked you a question! You can't just walk away like that!" I said as I placed my hands on his desk.

"Yes I can, I just did." He picked up his cell phone and pecked at it for a moment before setting it down, I was pissed but I had to admit the man was very good at pretending to be busy. "You can go and see that Hollywood woman, since you're sooo sure she's harmless. Just leave me alone." I straightend myself before I walked behind his desk.

"Both Mairu and Kururi love you very much and you love them to. The only reason they're rude to you when your around is because you treat them the same." He slammed his hands down onto the keyboard angrily.

"I told you to leave me alone!" His eyes never left the computer screen. I huffed in irritation clearly I wasn't going to get anywhere with him so long as that computer still lived.

At the corner of his desk was a power strip with three appliances plugged in to it, his desktop, his laptop charger, and a pencil sharpener. I unplugged each, one at a time, until I herd an electrical click and his computer screen went black. I perched myself on his desk, crossing my legs as I swung the unplugged cord around until he looked back at me, he glared daggers into me as I smirked down to him.

"Pay attention to me when I'm talking to you." He turned his computer chair so that he could face me head on.

"Give. Me. The cord. Now!" He ordered, I shook my head.

"No! Not until you answer my question Orihara-senpai!" He didn't flinch like he usually did when I spoke his name formally, instead he stood and came closer to me.

"It's none of your buisness, give me the cord." He tried to grab it from me but I was able to keep it from his clutches.

"Just answer the question. It's not fair that you expect me to answer every question you throw at me, and not ask questions of my own!" I exclaimed as he leaned on me to reach for the cord.

"It's not fair of you to touch on a subject as sensitive as this, and expect me not become defensive!" He growled, as he leaned on me even more.

"You do the same with me and I trust you enough to give you answers! Why don't you do the same? Why don't you trust me?!" As I said that hurt filled his eye's.

I hadn't realized that I'd been scooting away from him until I was on the edge of the desk, but by then it was too late. I felt myself begin to fall as the cord slipt from my grasp, I herd it hit the desk with a clank just before I reached out and took hold of Izaya's shirt, pulling him over the desk and down to the floor with me.

I had landed on my back and Izaya had landed on top of me. He was heavier than he looked, and the impact from hitting the floor so hard knocked the wind from my lungs, I gasped for the air that my lungs had been temporarily deprived of, as my breathing slowly returned to normal. Izaya pushed himself up so that he hovered over me, he looked down on me with the same hurt-filled gaze he'd given me just before we'd fallen.

"Do you really think that I don't trust you?"

"No... No I don't think that at all." He narrowed his eye's somewhat as I spoke, I turned my head to the side so that I wasn't looking at him anymore. "It's just that you never seem to tell me anything, you don't open yourself up to anyone. It's frustrating sometimes." There was silence for a while as the two of us stayed on the floor, I think Izaya felt that he had more control of the situation while I was pinned.

"I know, i'm a difficult person to be around, so why are you with me?" I looked back to him expecting to see a smirk, however, his expression was less serious and more desperate. He must of been wondering that for a while, it would explain why he felt so easily threatend when he found out about the love scene with Matsushita Yuya.

"Because I love you, and I love being with you."

We had been engaged for months and yet neither of us had directly stated our feelings until then. Izaya wasn't surprized he knew we had feelings for eachother, and still yet a smile filled with genuine joy appeared on his lips, I noticed the faintest hint of tears welling up in his eyes he looked away from me quickly in a vain attempt to hide them.

How long had it been since someone had told him they loved him?

He and his parents weren't on good terms, he'd been disowned, whenever he happend to run into his sisters he acted as though he hated them, and so they followed suit, however, when the siblings were apart it was obvious how much they really cared for each other.

"I love you too." He chocked on his words as he spoke.

I understood then why he pushed his sisters away, and acted as though they were less than human. His family had disowned him, they wanted nothing to do with him, he didn't want his sisters to be shunned the same way he had, he was distancing himself to try and protect them from the pain of not being wanted by anyone but eachother.

"You don't have to answer me anymore, I think I understand."

I reached up and touched his face gently, no tears were present for he was still holding them back. I looked him in the eyes for a moment before I smiled. I sat up right, Izaya moved so that he wasn't on top of me anymore, I pulled him into a hug which he accepted without hesitation as he burried his face into my shoulder.

"I don't want you to doubt why i'm here. I don't want you to feel threatend. I don't want you to worry about being alone. I love you, Izaya, we belong together don't you ever doubt it."

He sniffled silently and released the smallest of sobs as he nuzzled his face against my neck before speaking in a slightly trembling tone.

"Say it again, please."

"I love you Izaya."


	8. Chapter 8

Hollywood

"...Kammi..."_ At the sound of Izaya's voice, so withered and chocked, my hold on his hand tightend._ "You promised me..."

_'I'm sorry...'_

"Please..."

_'I'm so sorry...'_

"Please, Kammi..."

_'Izaya, don't...'_

"Please don't leave me."

_'Cry.'_

_ A small droplet landed on my wrist, he was holding back his sobs but his tears must have been running hot down his face._

Waking the next morning was simple enough, wriggling out of Izaya's arm was not, and trying to sneak out without waking him was impossible. The night before had been... Eventful... More so than usual, more heartfelt and passionate; so it was reasonable that Izaya was feeling somewhat reluctant to see me walk off to meet a serial killer.

"Waaaa, I don't want you to go anymore Kammi!" Izaya whined, while grabbing me by the waist and forcing me into his lap, he began to snuggle his face into my hair. "You should stay."

"No. I told you last night I was gonna go see her. You even agreed to it." I pulled his arms away from me, stood, and began to dress. "So quite your whimpering and go back to sleep." He hurried over to me and began to pull at my clothes.

"No, don't get dressed! You don't need to!"

"Public nudity is illegal!"

"Then stay inside!"

"Namie-san will see!"

"And she might be driven mad with jealousy but she will eventually get over it!" I pulled away from him and finished dressing. "In all seriousness, you could at least let me go with you."

"No, you'll only intimidate her, i'm her friend she'll talk to me."

"Maybe intimidation is what the situation calls for..."

"She wouldn't harm me purposley Izaya, everything will be okay."

He walked me to the door and tried one last time to stop me from leaving, I of course was not giving into him.

"Izaya, I'll be fine. I'll go talk to her, go to work, and then I'll come home and have dinner with you. Promise." I turned away from him, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "What is it now?"

"I love you." He said, and I could see the slightest gleam of hope in his eyes.

"I love you, Izaya." He once again gave me a smile filled with pure joy and, in return, I gave him a peck on the cheek before I left our appartment.

I pressed my finger to the small round button and a melodous ringing was herd, soon I came face to face with the Hollywood murderer, Ruri Hirijibe.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" She questioned as she lead me into her living room.

"No thanks." I took a seat next to her on her couch and smiled to her. "I came to see how you were doing, I know that Shizu-chan can pack quite a punch."

"You know that monster of a man?" She questioned, I shook my head.

"Shizu-chan isn't a monster, he's more human than anyone I've ever met." She looked down to her hands.

"I'm doing fine now, thanks to Yuhei-san..." Ruri was silent for a while and I could tell something was weighing heavily on her mind.

"Ru-chan, whatever's bothering you, you can tell me about it." It was then that I noticed a smile on her face.

"Nothings bothering me really, it's just that...I met the most wonderful person yesterday." She said as she turned to me excitedly.

"Who?"

"The Black Rider!" I was taken aback, I had no idea she had come into contact with Celty.

"Really?" She took my hands into hers as she began to speak excitedly.

"Yes! She's amazing! She knew that I was different from the moment we met, and I could feel that she was different to, although that might've been because of a the rumors i've herd but still..."

Whenever Ruri became excited about something she would alway's come to me in order to drop her gaurd and babble about it freely. Ruri seemed perfectly fine, I asked her a few questions about why she'd become a murderer, she said she wasn't ready to speak of it yet and so I dropped the subject.

Everything was going smoothly as I'd known it would, Ruri never raised a hand to me, not Ruri, not ever. A loud crash sounded throughout the large building as the front door was broken down, the windows were broken out along with it and a large team of men in black suits surrounded us.

"Ruri Hirijibe, you're coming with us!" One man exclaimed. Both Ruri and I were standing in defensive fighting positions.

"Why?" she questioned.

"Thats none of your concern." The same man answered. "If you come quietly then we might let your friend live." They moved in on us, Ruri wasn't going to go without a fight.

I can't remember much of what happend but I do remember seeing Ruri throw a man into a wall. I had been fighting off several men when I noticed Ruri was surrounded but four, I hurried over to her and immediatly got rid of two of the offending parties, while Ruri took care of the rest.

Soon we were standing amongst unconcious, wounded men, who were strewn about all over the living room. Ruri turned to me expressing gratitude for assisting her.

"We need to get some place safe." Ruri said as she turned to leave, I took a step forward when I herd a groan, I turned to find one of the injured men pointing a hand gun at Ruri, I thought quickly and rushed over to her, I grabbed her by the shoulder just as the bullet was fired, I pulled her roughly and found myself losing balance as I fell directly into the bullets path, I blacked out.

_"Kammi-chan!" I herd a distressed voice calling my name from a distance, it sounded firmiliar to me but my mind was too hazy to connect the voice to a name. _

_"Will she be alright?"_

_ "I need to get her into surgery now!"_

_ "Get out of my way Celty-san! I need to be with Kammi! I need to make sure she'll be okay!"_

_ "Celty! Keep Izaya out of this room while i'm working on Kammi-chan!"_

_ "Kammi! You promised me!"_

_ Numbness, I felt absolutely nothing and it was awful. I became unaware of my own existance did that mean I had temporarily ceased to be? Was that reality? Or..._

Foggy, so very foggy, my mind was clouded and I was feeling overly groggy and weak. I opened my eyes to an empty hospital room, I layed in my bed for a while before stepping onto the cold floor and wobbling out into a quiet hall. I leaned on the nearby wall to support myself as a living room came into sight.

"Celty-san?" My voice was hoarse as if it hadn't been used in a long time, as her headless form looked up from her magazine she jumped up and hurried over to me, urging me to go lay down again.

Once I was back in bed Celty took a seat near me and began to explain everything that had happened. I had been shot in the head, it was touch and go for a while but I pulled through thanks to Shinra. Once my surgery was over I had slipped into a comatose state, Shinra insisted I stay in his appartment, so he could keep an eye on me, which meant that Izaya was going to stay as well. I had been there for six months, Izaya had left an hour before I woke to go to work.

"I see... I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble Celty-san." The Dullahan immediatly began to type a message on her phone, while shaking her nonexistant head.

'No, don't apologize you weren't any trouble at all... However, Kammi-chan, you need to be more careful, you could've been killed.'

"I know but... I can't help it, I don't think before I act..." She showed me another message.

'Well, think about Izaya-kun, what would he do without you here? You don't want to leave him alone do you? Just think of him whenever you feel that you might do something reckless.' I nodded.

"How has Izaya been by the way?"

'He was extremely distraught when you first arrived here, but he's gradually been getting better.'

"Good, and Ru-chan? Is she okay?"

'Oh yeah, she's just fine, she's visited you a lot while you were sleeping; she would've come more often had Izaya-kun not been here.'

"Does he blame her for what happened to me?" Celty nodded, and I scoffed. "What an idiot he is."

Celty and I talked for a while longer before Shinra entered, he was delighted to see that I had woken and immediatly came over to inspect me, it was then that I noticed the bandages wrapped tightly around my head.

"Celty-san, will you hand me a mirror or something?" I questioned and Celty handed me her phone, which she'd placed on camera mode so I could see myself.

My skin was much more pale than it had been, now holding a weak, sickly sort of grey tint to it. My cheeks sunk into my face slightly due to living on an IV for six months, my eye's had faint circles under them and my hair was a skew.

"How ugly, I look a mess..." I said with a frown, Celty opted to brush my hair and she did so, careful of the bandages. Once my hair was smoothed I looked at my reflection again, brushing my hair had helped, but I still looked sickly and weak. "Shinra, I hate to ask this considering everthing else but... Could I take a bath? I'm sure I smell awful..." Shinra chuckled at me.

"No, Celty's been keeping you smelling fresh all this time, but you're welcome to take a bath now. Just don't get you head wet, you're wounds healing, and it probably wouldn't hurt it but better to be safe than sorry." I nodded as I thanked them once again, Celty offered to help me to the bathroom but I told her I could do it on my own.

I clung to the wall all the way to the bathroom, my weakend muscles aching from lack of use. Once inside the small room I plugged the drain and began to fill the tub with hot water, while the water was running, I began to undress slowly every muscle in my body burned from the sudden dependency I had on them, but I continued anyway. I folded my clothes and placed them to the side, I was tempted to inspect my body in the mirror but I ultimately decided against it.

I turned the faucet off as I stepped into the warm water, I stood for a moment with one foot inside the tub and one foot out, afraid of what would happen the moment I had to balance myself on one foot; I tried my best to move quickly but the muscles in my legs were too weak and I ended up falling. Water splashed over the side of the bathtub as my head went under, I quickly resurfaced and immediatly began to touch the bandages on my head, they were soaked but it was too late to worry about it then.

I sighed in slight annoyance at the situation before I leaned back and allowed the warmth of the water to relax me. I looked to the wall of the bath and found Celty's body wash, which I used shamelessly, I was tempted to wash my hair since I'd already gotten it wet and I did so very carefully, when it came time to rinse I wanted to avoid dunking my head under water, so I decided to fill a large cap, from the shampoo bottle, with the bath water and pour it over my head. Once I was done with washing, I leaned forward and pulled the plug from the drain. I stood carefully as I stepped onto a rough mat placed just outside of the tub, I made my way from there to the linoleum flooring, slick with water. I approached a nearby cubboard which held neatly folded towles, I reached out and just as I grabbed a towel the bathroom door flew open, I turned quickly pulling the towel infront of me in an attempt to hide my naked body, the intruder rushed to me before I could see their face, and wrapped their arms around my wet unclothed form, the only thing that gave his identity away, was the fur lining on the jacket I'd given him years ago.

"Kammi, you had me so worried." Izaya's voice was soft and filled with relief, I sighed as I allowed my body to lean on him for support, and I returned his hug.

"I'm sorry." In response his hold on me tightend I couldn't help but giggle, "who would've guessed we'd end up like this, right Iza-nii?"

"Well, I alway's suspected that I'd get you undressed one day." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up."

He pulled away from me and handed me a towel, he assisted me in getting dressed before helping me back to the make-shift hospital room I'd been living in.

"Kammi-chan! I told you not to get your bandages wet!" Shinra cried, as he hurried over to me, "they're completely soaked! Looks like I'll have to change them..."

"Sorry..."

"Shinra, go easy on her she just woke up after all." Izaya's voice was stern which caused Shinra to smile nervously as he changed the bandages on my head.

Once the idiotic doctor left us, Izaya crawled under the covers and wrapped me up in his arms again, we talked for a long while, I finally felt myself beginning to doze when Izaya shook me gently.

"Don't go to sleep." He said and I blinked up at him.

"Why not? I'm tired..."

"But what if you don't wake up?"

"Izaya, I can't stay awake forever..."

"I know."

I stayed up for hours waiting for him to fall asleep so that I could do the same, it was six in the morning before Izaya had finally begun to snooze; once I herd his light snoring I closed my eyes and immediatly fell to sleep.

"Kammi! Kammi wake up!" Izaya cried as he shook me roughly, my eyes fluttered open as I looked to him in irritation.

"What?!" I growled, and he sighed.

"Just checking." He stood from the bed and stretched before turning to me with a gentle smirk.

"Izaya, I've been asleep for how long again?" I questioned.

"Six months." I sighed sadly.

"Our wedding date has already past." Izaya scoffed, and put his hand over my own.

"We can reschedule."

"I know." I said before I smiled to him, "as soon as possible okay?" He only shook his head at me a smirk still on his lips.

"You alway's wanna rush things."

"You're one to talk."

Months. Five months to be exact, thats how long it took me to finish physical therapy. Man what a bitch that was. But I was glad to be able to walk on my own again, I had almost returned to normal, except for...

"Alright Kammi-chan, it looks like you're good as new!" Shinra cheered, I had come to him for my monthly check up.

"Thanks for the help, Shinra-senpai." He grinned as he began to put my file away in a nearby cabinet and walked me into the living room where Celty sat watching TV, along with Shizuo.

"Hey Squirt, you're looking better." Shizuo said with a smile.

'I'm glad you're finally feeling like yourself again.' Celty's message read.

"Yeah, well I owe it to you three, and Izaya, everyone was so helpful to me." I said, Shinra blushed and grinned.

"Oh, stop it Kammi-chan you're embarassing me!" Celty shook her non-existant head at the goof-ball doctor, and Shizuo only chuckled before taking a big drink of milk.

"Shinra-senpai. I'm sorry but. I have another request." I said sheepishly, Shinra turned to me expectantly. "Would you please... Help me... Through my pregnancy." As the last three words left my mouth, everyone flipped! Celty hopped up from her seat on the couch unsure of what to do, or say. Shinra's grin overtook most of his face. Shizuo... Well I'll just say that milk was _everywhere_.

"Kammi-chan is pregnant!" Shinra cheered, as he grabbed me into a hug. "And she wants me to be the one to help her deliver!" He was almost in tears, Celty hurried over to me and quickly asked if she could touch my stomach.

"Of course you can, Celty-san, but the baby isn't even able to kick yet." I felt Celty's hand gently whisper over my stomach.

"Kammi-chan." I looked up to Shizuo, who was standing infront of me by that point. "Please. For the love of god PLEASE. Make sure you're baby doesn't turn out like the flea!" I only laughed in response.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Shizu-chan! Besides he couldn't turn out bad if he's got you for an uncle." I exclaimed, Shizuo's face turned pink.

"U-uncle?!"

"Of course. You don't mind do you?" He looked away from me still blushing.

"N-not at all."

"Waaa! Celty! We're going to have a little niece or nephew!" Shinra cried, as he and celty continued to rub at my stomach, which had only just gotten a small baby-bump.

"Actually, I was kinda hoping that you two would agree to be the Godparents?" Shinra almost fell over, Celty quickly typed up a message.

'Is Izaya okay with it?' She questioned, and I smiled sheepishly.

"Well, i'm sure he will be. Once I tell him about the baby and all."

"You haven't told him yet?!" Shizuo practically screamed.

"Not yet."

"How long have you known?" Shinra questioned.

"For about a month now. But don't worry I plan on telling him tonight!"

It took me thirty minutes to pry myself away from the baby crazed bunch.

I strolled happily down the street as the setting sun dyed the city a beautiful orange, somehow everything around me seemed brighter was it because of the baby? I became somewhat nervous as my home came into view, for some reason I was reluctant to tell Izaya of the baby, fearsome I suppose, but that was normal for a woman in my postion... Right?

"Kammi! Welcome back~" Izaya exclaimed as he embraced me and began to leave a trail of ksses on my neck. Oh no! That is exactly the type of thing that put me in that situation! I pushed Izaya away from me gently, which caused him to give me a quizical look.

"Izaya, I uh... Need to talk to you." I don't know why I was so nervous, I knew how he would react and still yet I found my stress increasing as the moment went on.

"Talk? About what?" Izaya pulled my face closer to his, he clearly wasn't in the mood for a conversation. I suddenly became impaitent and decided it would be best just to spit it out.

"My pregnancy." He froze leaving a small gap between our lips, I moved away from him and awaited his response.

"You're... Pregnant?" He questioned, I nodded, then he moved closer to me and put a hand on my stomach.

"You mean, theres a little human growing inside you?" I nodded again, "a human of our own." He said in a soft voice I shook my head and smiled.

"You and you're human obsession." Izaya's smile grew in excitment.

"I can't help it Kammi. We have a little person on the way!" I laughed at that.

"I know, I'm the one carrying it remember!" Excitement. Nothing but pure excitment filled Izaya's tone, and his eyes held all the emotions an expecting father should have. Izaya kept his hand my stomach as he spoke softly.

"I'll be a father. And I'll love my child more than I love all the humans in the world."


	9. Chapter 9

'Till Death Do We Part

_ Lately the prickling on the back of my neck has been constant and intense. Izaya needs me, I need him. I don't know what to do..._

"Kammi, are you alright?" Izaya questioned me softly as he entered into our bedroom, I shook my head. "There's nothing I can do for you is there." It was a statement, asking a question like that at the time would've been foolish.

"I'm sorry, i'm acting selfishly aren't I?" He was silent for a moment.

"No, you've experienced a trauma and you're trying your best to cope with it. You're not being selfish Kammi."

"But... You lost a child as well..." I said, Izaya frowned lightly down at me.

"Yeah but I wasn't the one carrying it."

"She. Please don't call our baby an 'it', Izaya."

"Well we didn't know the gender, it was too early to tell."

"She was a girl. Her name was Michiru." The doctors had insisted we give the baby a name, they said it helped parents to cope with their loss.

"How do you know that?"

"... I just... Do..."

Four months into my pregnancy I miscarried. I had been involved in an accident, I was attacked by a group of thugs all they wanted was money, I don't know why I tried to resist them, if I hadn't then our baby wouldn't have died. My fault.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed, I'd long since lost track of time as I had fallen into a deep despression. I was feeling an emptiness in me it was as if all the parts of my body had been seperated and there was nothing but unfilled space left in between. It was lonely... So very lonely...

Izaya put a hand on my shoulder which attracted my attention, he looked at me sadly almost pitifully.

"Kammi, stop, there's nothing there anymore." His eyes glanced down, and I realized that I had inadvertantly been rubbing my stomach as I had often done before Michiru passed away. I sighed in the hopes that maybe it would lift some of the weight I felt, it didn't, of course.

"Sorry..." I cried for weeks after I miscarried, at that moment I wanted to cry again but the tears wouldn't come.

"Hey, Shinra and Celty invited us over for a Hot Pot Party. We should go, it might lift your spirits." Izaya's voice was delicate in a way it had never been, he was suffering as much as I, he was just better at hiding it, he had alway's been stronger than me.

I looked into Izaya's rusty eye's which were lined with dark circles from the sleepless nights he and I had suffered through together. His eyes pleaded with me to agree and I realized-

"You need your spirits lifted more than I do Izaya." He lowered his head, as if he were ashamed I slipped my fingers between his and leaned on him, it was all I could think to do in order to comfort him, no words would make it better.

"Kammi-chan! Izaya! I'm so glad you decided to come!" Shinra cheered as he greeted us at the door.

In the living room only a few people sat about, Mikado, Anri, Shizuo, and Celty. I took a seat on the couch between Shizuo and Celty, while Izaya and Shinra chattered in the kitchen.

'How are you feeling?' I hadn't even seen Celty type the message.

"...Empty... But it'll be okay. Actually, i'm more worried for Izaya than I am myself."

"Huh? The Flea? Why?" Shizuo looked to the kitchen as my soon to be husband gave Shinra an evil smirk. "He seems as annoying and cocky as ever."

"He's not doing well Shizu-chan. I know you don't like him but Izaya is human after all, he's just well versed at hiding his true feelings..." I looked down to my hands, "even around me."

'Doesn't he talk to you about it?' Celty questioned.

"Only about me. He never tells me how he's doing, but he really doesn't have to... I can see it in his eyes."

Silence. A long sorrow filled silence, I shook my head and smiled as brightly as I could to my friends.

"Alright enough with the morbid dialouge. Lets have some fun and move on." I said, Shizuo gave me a half-hearted smile and Celty's body language told me she was on the verge of tears.

I tried my best to push the thought of baby Michiru to the back of my mind, however she kept resurfacing to the forefront at every turn, especially when I looked at Anri and Mikado. _Would Michiru have worn glasses? Would she have been a good student? Would she have been happy?_ I kept up a smile which i'm sure seemed strained and distant to the people around me, Izaya was much better at faking a smile than me. _Hey, I thought I was the actor._

The Hot Pot Party had been somewhat refreshing to me, being around the people who cared for me really did wonders, I left the appartment feeling a bit of the weight I'd been carrying lighten. The prickling on my neck had only intensified. I wrapped my arm around Izayas as we strolled down the street.

"I love you, Izaya..." I felt his body relax somewhat, "so please. Don't hold your feelings in anymore." He stopped and I did as well. "I know how you're feeling, I know you're doing your best to be here for me, but Izaya, you've forgotten that i'm here for you too." He didn't say anything he just continued home, once we arrived he never even gave me a glance, he merely went to his computer and stayed there for most of the night.

Our wedding day snuck up on us, with all the happenings I'd completely forgotten about it. A small gathering outside in the middle of spring, when the cherry blosoms bloomed the brightest, the ceremony was short and sweet just how we both prefered it. My wedding dress was short, easier to move in, and showed off my delicate shoulders. Izaya seemed so out of place in a suit I insisted he wear his signature jacket instead of a blazer, he complied without argue.

Izaya's mood had improved somewhat and he actually did begin to rely on me to help him through Michiru's death, which, even on the day of our wedding, still weighed heavily on both our minds, even as we felt the happiest we had in what seemed like ages, there was still a void that stood between us and it was called death.

I was seated at a table by myself taking small bites of a slice of a wedding cake, when I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned and smiled warmly.

"Ru-chan, Kasu-kun, i'm so glad you could make it." I said as I stood and embraced the two.

"You look beautiful in your wedding dress, K-chan." Ruri's tone was bland and robotic as always.

"Thanks Ru-chan." Kasuka looked at me for a long while, finally he turned to Ruri and asked if he could have a moment alone with me, Ruri left us without question or hesitation.

"How are you?" He got right to the point, immediatly my hand began to move to my stomach, however, I stopped the action and let my arm fall limp beside me.

"Better. It's Izaya whose getting the worst of it now." Kasuka took my hands into his.

"Kammi-chan, if you need anything, anything at all, Ruri and I will come running to your side." HIs voice was ghostly as his blank expression stared down at me gently, I smiled knowing that, even though I couldn't see it, he was smiling as well.

"Thank you very much."

Kasuka and I joined up with Ruri once again, we had only just began to chatter when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something bizarre I turned my full attention to the buffet table where Izaya and Shizuo stood, seemingly having a normal conversation. I snuck over, on the way I grabbed Celty and pulled her with me, she knew what I was up to and we began to have a pretend conversation near the two men.

"It won't kill ya to open up to her Flea." Shizuo's voice was a low growl.

"Ah~ how surprising it is to have Shizu-chan worried about me!" Izaya's mocking tone was half hearted and sortly downtrodden.

"Thats not it!" Shizuo's voice quickly rose to a shout, he took a moment to calm himself before speaking again. "Kammi-chan worries about you, all the time... If you're doing poorly then she is too, if you're sad so is she, you get it? If you don't open up to her fully then you're not helping her, you're hurting her. Stop being selfish Flea." The two were silent for a long while.

"What do you know Shizuo?" Izaya questioned, his voice low and filled with a multitude emotions. "You've never lost a child before. You've not even had a solid relationship, I don't have time for your idiotic hypocrisy." Silence once again.

"You're right, I wouldn't know I've never lost a child." Shizuo paused for a moment. "Then again I've never lost Kammi-chan either." Shizuo left Izaya standing alone.

Celty and I just stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to do or say, finally, Izaya turned and looked to me knowingly, he held his hand out to me and I took it quickly.

We walked along a large lake, not too far from the party but not too close either, hand in hand. Izaya had something to say, I knew that much but it could have been any number of things and I wasn't in the mood for guessing.

"Do you think I would've been a good father?" The question made me smile.

"Of course I do."

"Do you think Michiru would've been happy?" Finally he used the babies name, a small step but at least it was in the right direction.

"I don't ever doubt it."

"Do you think she would've love me?" His voice cracked as he finished his sentence.

"More than anything."

"Do you think... We should... Try again?" I stopped. _Again? Another baby so soon? But... _"I know what you're thinking." Izaya said, " 'what if we lose the next one too.' " Spot on.

"Izaya, you know just as much as me how horrible it was to lose the first... I don't think we could make it through a second..." He was silent for a long while, studying me carefully choosing his words wisely.

"Do you think of how awful it would be to never try and regret that decision later on in life? Do you think of how sad it would be to miss out on a little human of our own, just because you were afraid to try?" He had a point, but then again, Izaya always had a point and he alway's made it clear.

"I've not thought of it until now."

"Of course you haven't, you've been experiencing a type of empitness that I can't even attempt to understand." Izaya took both of my hands in his.

"Kammi, I want to try again." I noticed that for the first time in months, Michiru had not been burdening my mind, I felt the back of my eyes burn with the threat of tears. _What if another baby makes us completely forget about Michiru?_ Was the only thought running through my head, Izaya brushed his hand against my cheek causing me to look to him. "We'll never forget Michiru." Spot on.

"...Alright... We... We'll try again... But... Not so soon..." He smiled his eyes looking down to me lovingly and he pulled me close.

All that time I had thought Izaya was the one who was dwelling on Michiru's death, but as it turned out he was dwelling on the life of a new human who had yet to be conceived.

We tried to wait before conceiving another child, however, it seemed as though the longer we waited the more our thoughts went to Michiru. Another child was what we needed in order to keep from destroying ourseleves. After months of unsuccesful attempts, we were finally able to conceive once more.

A cold object rubbed over my stomach as Izaya, Shinra, Celty and I looked to the dark picture of the sleeping baby that rested in my stomach, it was the day we would find out the gender of our baby. _A little brother?_ I thought as I looked to the unitelligable image on the screen, _will_ _Michiru have a little brother? _I thought, Shinra stared at the screen for a long time before he turned to Izaya and I.

"Twins." My eyes widened.

"Twins?!" I repeated in surprize and excitement, Izaya's grip on my hands tightend.

"A boy and a girl from the looks of it!" Shinra exclaimed. We left the small hospital room and navigated to the living room, where Shizuo, Mairu, Kururi, Mikage, Dotachiin and the rest of the van gang waited.

"Well? What is it?!" Mairu questioned in impatient exictement.

"A boy _and_ a girl." Everyone cheered.

I sat on the couch as Namie handed me a cup of tea, I thanked her and she smiled down at me as she had been since I became pregnant.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that Namie-san?"

"I'm sorry I just can't help but smile at you." Namie answered, "the way you glow, it'd be hard for me not to smile."

Izaya approached wordlessly as he knelt down infront of me and began to rub my stomach gently as he always had, in response to his touch the babies inside began to kick and slide around, as if they knew their father was there.

"I can't wait." Izaya exclaimed, as he continued to rub at my stomach.

May 26th, thats when our children were born. I had been in labor for more than eight hours and I was exhausted, but all I wanted was to see my children.

"Kammi, you did so well." Izaya said as he brushed hair from my eyes, I smiled to him.

"Damn right I did!" He chuckled at me and thats when Shinra and Celty brought them in.

Both had jet black curls, fair skin and large rust colored eyes. There was a birthmark, which was no more than a small splotch, on the girls shoulder, and a mark identical to it on the boys upper arm.

"What will you name them?" Shinra quesitoned, Izaya was the first to speak.

"Rika for the girl." I rolled my eyes, leave it to Izaya to pick a name meaning 'eternal god.'

"Hotaru for the boy. " Izaya rolled his eyes, leave it to me to pick a name meaning 'firefly.'

I spent just over a week in bed as I recovered from giving birth, one evening we got a surprise visit from my family. My mother and father were eager to see their grandchilder, as were my brothers to see their neice and nephew. Setsuna, my oldest brother, sat with my parents as they played with the babies, he looked to me giving me a constant grin. Kai, my younger brother, sat with myself and Izaya as we watched the others.

"Whats up Kai? Don't you wanna see your neice and nephew?" I questioned, Kai shifted nervously in his seat. He was a teenager then and everytime I looked at him I couldn't help but be amazed at how fast he'd grown.

"No i'm fine watching from a distance." He said, Izaya raised an eyebrow to him.

"Is Kai-kun afraid of babies?" He questioned, Kai stiffend and I sighed as I realized he had never held a baby before. I requested my son be brought to me and my father obliged. I instructed Kai on how to hold him as he nervously took the infant into his arms, he held the baby protectively as if he were afraid that the slightest movement would break the child. Kai looked down on the baby for a long while as it gurgled up at him happily, and Kai smiled.

Celty and Shinra, as the godparents, took it upon themselves to spoil the children at every turn.

Mairu and Kururi came over almost everyday to see Hotaru and Rika, somewhere along the way they decided to teach them martial arts along with Mikage.

Dotachiin and the van gang acted as the twins anime guides, I never left Erika and Walker alone with them for too long.

Kasuka and Ruri were alway's setting up play dates for the twins and their little girl.

Uncle Shizuo was never far from them, in a way the ex-bartender acted as a gaurdian angel to the two. The twins safety and happiness were the only thing that Shizuo and Izaya could agree on.

Rika followed in Izaya's footsteps, causing trouble and mischief where ever she wondered, she even took on his odd love for humanity, but what else would you expect from a daddy's girl?

Hotaru took more after myself than he did Izaya, but that would be expected considering he was my little man.

Michiru was never far from our minds, and we made sure that Hotaru and Rika new of their dearly departed older sister, they deserved to know that while we were a perfectly happy family a part of us was missing.

Soon the twins were going off to highschool, where? I wasn't sure, they had a lot of places to choose from and the two just might have decided to go their seperate ways, they would have to at some point any way considering their career choices were so different. Rika wanted to become a psychologist and Hotaru an idol, he already had his eye on a prestigious arts academy.

Izaya and I were the same as we were when I began this story, two love stricken kids whose only goal in life was to live in the moment, and stay by eachothers side until the end.

I squeeze his hand tightly in the shadow filled hospital room.

"I don't want you to doubt why i'm here. I don't want you to worry about being alone. I love you, Izaya, and you've given me everything I could ever ask for." A weak smirk comes onto his ghostly lips as the rust colored eyes I fell in love with grow heavy.

"Say it again... Please." His breathing slows.

"I love you, Izaya." My grip on his hand tightens. "Our children love you, Izaya, our grandchildren love you Izaya. You're so loved by everyone here, Izaya."

At the sound of a flat line, I feel the smile I've been holding onto slip away along with the life of my one and only love. The man I had spent seventy-two years with died in a small hospital room, filled with the people who loved him most.

"And you were worried that I would be the one leaving you alone..."

-Fin-


End file.
